It's The Heart of Everything
by XxXChrommagiaXxX
Summary: Zack had only known Tifa for ten seconds in Nibelhiem, but he's just about to get to know her a lot more. changed to m for good reasons, previously called i thought i knew what beautiful was.
1. Shot In the Dark

Summary: Zack had only known Tifa for ten seconds in Nibelhiem, but he's just about to get to know her a lot more.

Disclaimer: sadly, I do not own final fantasy because if I did, Areith would've died quicker and Zack would still be alive.

Chapter one: It Takes All sorts

He wondered if jealous was too strong a word to describe how he felt about the life Cloud had.

No, it wasn't.

Zack watched from a table at Seventh Heaven, waiting for Cloud as it turned out, as the two children he and Tifa had adopted ran around the bar, playing what seemed to be extreme tag. Tifa, the Brunette barmaid that had put up with Cloud for all these years, stood softly laughing to herself at the game as she poured a beer and came out to give it to Zack.

She must've noticed his far off look because she playfully clicked her fingers in front of his face as she set the glass down. "Earth to Zack, come in Zack."

He blinked and managed a smile. "Coming in loud and clear. How much do I owe you Teef?" immediately she shook her head, the long brown hair brushing her shoulders. "Absolutely nothing. You're a Friend Zack; you deserve to get drunk for free." He chuckled and nodded in gratitude.

He was jealous.

Jealous of everything cloud had. Not in a malicious way, oh god no, it was just a bit…disheartening that in the space of four years Cloud had just about everything.

Zack was on the last few drops of his beer when Cloud finally arrived, and with a wave and a "See you later Teef," he realized just how dazzling her smile was as she waved back.

Deciding that even though it was November, it wasn't quite cold enough to be lazy and drive, he and Cloud walked down the street to work in silence until Cloud looked at Zacks miserable expression. "Penny for your thoughts?"

Zack snorted. "A penny isn't going to cut it. You'll be here a while." Clouds' eyebrow rose and Zack sighed. "I'm just thinking…"

Immediately Cloud smiled. "Well that's dangerous in itself." Zack mock sneered and carried on.

"I'm just thinking maybe its time I settle down. Maybe quit Shinra, get a girl I truly love and start a family."

Cloud frowned. "Sounds a little like what I've got." Zacks head snapped up.

"You and Tifa are…?" Cloud shook his head.

"No way, Tifa and I will always be just friends. I keep telling her to find someone, because its obvious she needs and wants to, but she just shrugs it off and tells me 'the kids are all I need'." This made Zack think. He stopped. Cloud turned around when he noticed and his eyebrow rose higher.

"Is Tifa still in?" Cloud shook his head again.

"No, it's Tuesday. When I go she drops the kids off at my moms and goes to college."

"She goes to college?" Zack didn't know that. Cloud nodded this time.

"Yeah they're crazy hours but for four days a week, she goes to the college that opened about 6 months ago." Zack was intrigued by now. "What she studying?" Cloud chuckled.

"She doesn't like me telling people because she gets embarrassed. She does Musical Theatre, Performing arts." Zack was confused, why would she be embarrassed about that? As if Cloud read his mind he added, "Shes' always talked about performing, but never done it. She thinks because she has a reputation as a hard nut that's what she has to be." Now Zack understood. He understood perfectly.

Then a thought struck him. Tifa owned a bar that was quiet whenever he went, and Cloud was a delivery boy, so a question burned inside him. "How the hell can she afford college?" Clouds face dropped a little. "We've had to make a few sacrifices ill admit. But somehow were managing it, and yes it is crippling us financially but its something she really wants to do so I'm taking more jobs and Shes taken a second job at the nightclub downtown, don't worry we'll manage…somehow." Zack felt sorry for the boy he really did.

"Hey Cloud listen I've just remembered, Rose asked me to look after her kids, tonight, so tell Seph I won't be coming in." Cloud went to respond but Zack turned on his heel, adjusted the blue scarf that was around his neck, and walked briskly in the opposite direction, leaving the blonde slightly dumbstruck.

He wasn't watching his sisters' kids. It was a terrible lie anyway since they lived back in gongaga. He went towards the college. There was something he had to see.

He ran the last year in his head as he walked. Walking into the bar and breathing in her smell of vanilla, watching her be the best mom she could to two children that in a way had nothing to do with her, noticing the slight disappointed look when Areith Came and collected Cloud. He could see it in her eyes; she wanted to be loved in that way too, not as a mother, but as a genuine lover.

He stopped. In a way they were the same. It still hurt watching Areith with Cloud after the way he himself had loved her. It still hurt that he was the one alone…wait, lies, he had a cat. A stupid cat. That was it. You couldn't cuddle a cut, and you sure as hell couldn't kiss one.

He walked up to the College and was surprised to find no security whatsoever. He walked straight in, letting the warmth hit him before he went in search of the theatre.

He was surprised at what he found.

There was a class in there, Tifa among them in black jogging bottoms, a black tank over what seemed to be a black leotard. Her hair was up in a loose bun that let a few strands fall over here face, and she had a grin plastered on her face as her classmates laughed with her. She looked so much more loose then normal, and relaxed. He watched as a man with mid long brown hair called her to the piano.

"Must be her singing lesson." He mumbled to himself, and smiled as the piano started playing and Tifa put her hands on her stomach, looked up and took a deep breath. Then as the piano started playing, Zack physically had to step back and check his ears were working.

He was amazed that a woman, whose only public performances were probably sang in the shower, had such a beautiful voice.

Ok granted it wasn't perfect, but considering she was just known as a member of avalanche, and a barmaid, she certainly surprised him with the notes that were coming out of her mouth.

He didn't recognize the song because he wasn't a big fan of musicals, and he'd seen all he needed to so stuffing his hands in the pockets of his jeans, he started the trek home, immediately putting the central heating on as soon as he crossed the threshold.

Tifas' singing had been playing in his head the whole way home, and it hadn't stopped. The same twenty seconds of her voice kept playing over and over, it played as he stuffed a pizza in the oven and it played as he absent mindedly stroked binx on the head. He frowned. He was never letting his niece name his pets after watching hocus pocus again.

After his dinner was done he sat on the couch, just thinking about everything. He had no idea what he was doing with himself. He should've just gone to work; at least it would've been something to do.

He wondered if she was done. Or whether she was on break. Either one would do. He reached for his phone and held his cell phone beside it, scrolling till he found her mobile and punched it into his home phone. A few rings later she picked up.

"Hello? Zack, something wrong?"

Zack laughed softly. "No, just wanted to know when you finished college?" a small silence followed, and he remembered he wasn't supposed to know. Smacking his forehead and silently cursing, he prepared an explanation to how he knew in his head.

"Err…in about forty five minutes. Why?" she seemed content. Maybe she didn't mind him knowing. Zack smiled, even though he knew she couldn't see it.

"Ill pick you up. We're going for a drink." It would be nice to have some company for once. He didn't give her time to answer as he put the phone down and threw the scraps that had been sitting there in the bin, throwing on a clean shirt and putting some gel in his hair.

Forty minutes later he was waiting in the pick up area of the college, watching as the last few students came out. He grinned when Tifa finally appeared, back in her normal clothes. Which amazed him even more since that was a dress. A black flowery dress that hung just above the knee, with boots and a purple jacket.

"She is full of surprises." He muttered as she smiled and got in the car. "So where are we going and to what do I owe the pleasure?"

Pulling away Zack turned to face her, "Oh come on Teef, be truthful, what you would be doing if you were to just go home?" Tifa put a finger on her bottom lip as she thought, which Zack found just plain adorable.

"Well save the half hour waiting for the bus, probably…..nothing." Zack smirked. "Exactly." It was Tifas' turn to smirk. "I swear you left for work with Cloud this afternoon. Isn't that where you're supposed to be right now?"

Zack chuckled. "Hey we're all allowed to play hooky once in a while." She just smiled again and shook her head, resting it on her hand. "So where are we going?"

Zack grinned. "Some bar called Seventh heaven…" she turned and glared at him "You can't be serious!" Zack started laughing again and he playfully slapped him on the arm.

They arrived at a quiet little pub on the outskirts of town, something Tifa was grateful for. She was too tired to be dealing with the buzz of nightclubs and bars. They went to the bar and Zack ordered his drink, and when the barmaid asked her what she wanted, she was a little taken aback. She wasn't used to people asking her what she wanted; it was always the other way round.

"Err...Sorry, beer please." Zack raised an eyebrow and Tifa could feel herself going red. "What?"

"Beer? What's a girl like you doing drinking beer?" Tifas' face hardened.

"What you think just because I'm a girl I can't drink beer? What d'you want me to get, a wine or a martini or something?" to prove her point she chugged half her glass, whilst Zack just laughed. "I meant its bad for you, drinking all that in one go." Tifa snorted.

"So's smoking, but I still do that." Now Zack was surprised. "You smoke?" Tifa grinned. "Have done since I was fifteen. Wow, can't believe you didn't figure that out, I don't exactly hide it." She playfully slapped his forearm. "And anyway your not one to lecture, you do it too." She giggled. "Next thing you know you'll be claiming I'm a virgin."

Zack gave a bark of laughter as he was drinking, almost spraying the beverage everywhere.

"Yeah right, you're a virgin….and I'm Jesus." That made that dazzling smile appear again. Zack looked into his glass and chuckled as a moments silence reigned over the pair. Tifa reached into her purse and held up a red and white box, waving it at him. Understanding the silent question he nodded and the pair made their way outside, Zack pulling the scarf and fleece he had on around him a bit more. Tifa put a cigarette in her mouth and offered one to him, which he took with a smile.

Tifa pulled out an old fashioned silver flip lighter and once lit, she passed it to Zack and he did the same. Taking the cigarette away from his lips and blowing out the smoke into the frosty air, he looked at her. "You know what Teef; you're completely different to how I remembered you." Tifa smiled and blew her own smoke out. "What, those ten seconds in Nibelhiem?" Zack grinned and looked at the icy ground near his feet.

"Yeah that. I asked Cloud about you, but he didn't tell me all this." He gestured with his own cigarette to hers. "That and the fact you went to college." Tifa grimaced. "I told him not to say anything."

Zack rolled his eyes. "Why? You should be proud of it. I mean performing arts is one hell of a talent. And I watched your singing lesson today…" immediately he knew he'd said too much. Tifas head snapped toward him. "You did what? You were there?"

Zack nodded his head sheepishly. "I just wanted to hear you sing." He mumbled to the floor. Tifa couldn't stay mad at that. She put a hand on his shoulder and smiled warmly at him. "And what did you think?" Zack looked up and smiled back. "You were amazing."

Tifa started blushing. She didn't know why she just did. "Oh I wouldn't say I was amazing, I messed up a few notes…"she squealed as a finger as put on her lips.

"You. Were. Amazing. End of." Tifa started to laugh but the cold just made her teeth chatter. She took another drag of her cigarette, but that warmth only lasted a little while. Zack noticed this and put a hand on her back. "We'll smoke in my car. That has heating." Tifa shook her head. "I'm fine. Besides, I wouldn't want to stink out your car." Zack sighed. "I insist." Tifa blushed again and soon they were in the warmth of Zacks car, the air thick with smoke and fabricated heat.

"Tonight's been really nice. A nice change." Tifa mused, stubbing her cigarette out and shifting in her seat. Zack grinned. "Yeah, sure was." Tifa frowned. "Yeah but now I don't want to go home." "Then don't." Tifa sighed. "No I have to, but you're welcome to stay. Besides I wouldn't recommend driving. You've been drinking." He couldn't argue with that. "It means walking." Tifa poked her tongue out at him, got out the car, and bolted for it.

Zack grinned and got out the car, speeding after her, damn she was fast.

But he was faster. He grabbed her around the wait with his arm and locked it so she couldn't escape. "Squirm all you like honey your not getting away." Tifa managed to spit between laughter "Want a bet?" and she grabbed on of his hands and dug her nails in the palm, immediately making Zack pull away in pain. Whilst he was distracted she slipped the other hand off and stood to face him.

"You little tiger, what have you got, claws or something?" Tifa laughed and put her hands on her hips, a triumphant smile on her face.

They started the walk home and Tifa felt a little strange, because every time their hands passed each other there was a magnetic force, like they were saying they should hold each other. Zack must've noticed it too because he kept making sure his hand pulled away that much closer to his leg.

It was becoming a little awkward.

Zack let out a sigh, making Tifa look up at him, confused. He grinned and took her hand, ending the awkwardness in one motion. Tifa blushed a little at the contact, but soon relaxed.

It was normal for friends to hold hands….right?

They were a lot more relaxed on the way home now they had got that out the way and when Tifa let them in, she motioned for him to come in, for he had stayed back a little.

"I dunno Teef, d'you think it'd be ok…?" Tifa rolled her eyes and grabbed his fleece, pulling him inside. Zack mocked a glare, which just made her grin. "What do you think? It's only me here tonight anyway." For some strange reason, that made Zack even more nervous.

They took their jackets on and went to the living room where Tifa poured two glasses of wine and put the heating on. Zack flopped onto the sofa and Tifa joined him soon after, and without realizing it, he had put his arm around her shoulders and her head was on his chest.

A couple of hours later and after much talking drinking and laughing, Tifa got up, letting Zacks arm drop.

"Right I'm beat, I'm going to bed." She stretched and Zack Smiled. "Alright. I'll crash on the sofa." Tifa shook her head.

"No way you can sleep in my room I'll have Marlenes' bed." Zack rolled his eyes. "I can keep this up forever Teef so don't argue. I'll have the sofa."

Tifa giggled, a symptom of when she was a little bit too drunk. "Compromise. We both have my bed." She started laughing at the look of horror on Zacks face. "Got you. Alright Mr. Stubborn ill go get you some blankets."

Zack shook his head as she left. He actually thought she was being serious.

Tifa brought him some blankets and he gave her a hug before she left for her room. As he settled down for the night he had to chuckle to himself.

He was falling for Tifa Lockhart. Hard.


	2. Constant Craving

The next morning, Zack opened his eyes and had to take a minute to figure out where the hell he was. Sitting up and twisting his back to untie the knots, he rubbed his eyes and grinned as he figured out he was in the bar.

He smelled bacon, so he knew Tifa was up. Rubbing his neck he managed to heave himself from the sofa. He had obviously taken his shirt off to sleep and kept his jeans on, so he didn't think anything of just walking into the kitchen.

Tifa was indeed there, in a Toronto blue jays baseball shirt and what looked like a pair of men's boxers. She turned and smiled at him. "Morning." Zack smiled back and run a hand through his hair.

"Hey, sorry about staying here all night." Tifa shook her head and snapped the tongs in front of his face. "Hey, you're welcome here whenever you want you should know that by now. Besides, last night was really nice." She turned back to the oven to flip a slice of bacon.

"How many eggs do you want?" Zack rolled his eyes.

"Tifa you've done enough you don't have to make me breakfast." Tifa mocked a sneer and pretended not to have heard him. This made Zack laugh, so he went behind her, grabbed her hands and folded her arms across her chest with his on top on them, sort of like a hug from behind.

Tifa laughed and half heartedly said "Its gonna burn."

Zack felt like he'd lost all control of his limbs because at this point he had buried his head in Tifas shoulder, rubbing it with his nose. She was a little nervous at what he was doing but soon she leant her head back and was almost asking him to do it. She tightened his grip on her, and pretty soon Zack could feel the exact shape of her body, they were so close.

He moved his face up so his lips just lightly brushed her collarbone, but felt a bit bad afterwards, thinking he had gone too far, but the miniscule moan that escaped her lips made him feel better. He grinned against her skin, kissing it again. "So?" Tifa giggled and moved away, turning the stove off and walking over to the door frame, leaning against it.

"How drunk did you get me last night?"

Zack grinned. "Hmmm…I can't remember."

He went to grab her again but almost daintily she dodged him and started up the stairs, bending her finger towards her, telling him to "come here." Zacks nerves grew. He knew where this was going. And he wanted it, by god as his witness he wanted it, but a little tiny voice inside his brain told him this was going too fast.

But his legs were automatically carrying him up the stairs, and at some point he wrapped his arm around Tifas waist and pulled her to him. Tifa decided to take control at this point and put both hands on his cheeks and pulled him into a kiss, pressing herself up against him. Zack tightened his grip on her waist and pushed her against the wall, poking her teeth with his tongue, demanding access.

She grinned into the kiss and deliberately making sure her teeth were clamped shut. Zack pulled away and pouted, walking his hand down her stomach, making it rest at the point where he could just brush his fingers along the waistband of her boxers. Tifas breath hitched and she pulled Zack closer, and he got a little worried that his weight would crush her.

But Tifa didn't care. She opened her mouth wider and let Zack slide his tongue in, moving it in perfect sync with hers. She wrapped her arms around his neck and walked backward, pulling him with her.

Zack thought they were going too slow so he picked Tifa up easily, and at first she squealed in surprise, but then wrapped her legs around his waist as he carried her into her bed room. He knew it was hers because in between kisses she would blurt, "Third one on the left".

Once they got in they literally fell onto the bed, the kisses more heated then they were on the landing. Zack pulled away, earning a pout from Tifa, but that pout disappeared as soon as he started kissing her cheeks, moving it down so he was kissing her neck.

Her grip on his hair got tighter and Zack knew that, like most women he knew, this was a major turn on for her. She had started grinding against him, and he found himself moving with her, feeling himself rub against her through his jeans.

He slowly moved away from the neck and started kissing her chest, tugging the hem of the shirt and looking up at Tifa, as if asking permission. She nodded and closed her eyes as he brought the shirt over her head and immediately buried his face in her warm breasts, kissing which ever part of skin he could find. She reached up her back and undid the clip, letting her bra become loose enough that Zack could clamp it between his teeth and pull it off.

As soon as it was off he kissed the pale flesh around her erect nipples, gently biting it, which made Tifa start to buck her hips against him, so he used his free hand and gently moved it under her boxers, making her moans louder. He took her nipple into his mouth and at the same time he gently rubbed in between her legs, which was soaked with her need for him.

After giving the same care to the other nipple, he saw it fit to shimmy the boxers down Tifas legs, exposing her private area to him. She responded by flicking the button and yanking down his jeans, taking his boxers with them. Zack helped her by taking them off all together, so they were both naked to each other.

Zack continued to kiss every inch of Tifas skin whilst she grabbed at every part of his body. He moved his mouth even lower until his face was between her thighs.

He couldn't believe how wet she was. His fingers were actually sliding as he held the inside of her thighs. He kissed them and went back up to kiss her on the lips again. He stroked her opening with two of his fingers and she shuddered in pleasure.

"Horny little thing aren't you?" he teased, and she mock sneered, squeezing her fingers around his rock hard member in response. "Like you can talk." Zack grinned as he kissed her again, rolling them both so he was definitely on top of her, he slowly slid his fingertip inside of her, making her moan even more.

Her nails dug into his skin, and Zack took his chance to enter his finger as deep as he could inside of her, moving it faster and faster, getting harder as her moans got louder. He couldn't wait any more.

He pulled his finger out of her and almost slammed his member inside of her, causing her to arch her back and cry out in pleasure.

About an hour later, Zack was staring at the naked back of Tifa. She had fallen right back to sleep after the truly amazing sex, which he found just plain cute, and was surprised to find a rather large tattoo of a king cobra working its way up her spine.

Taking a closer look, he realized she had a number of tattoos, covering her whole body. There were some kinds of Celtic symbols on each of her wrists, a vine with "Denzel" and "Marlene" entwined in it around the top of her arm, and a bumble bee on her ankle.

He ran his fingers over the snake and smiled when Tifa stirred rolling over and gently opening her eyes.

"Hey handsome." Zacks smile widened and he dipped down to kiss her."Hey beautiful." She smiled back and wrapped her arms around his waist.

"How long have I been asleep?" Zack leaned up to look at the clock. "About fifteen minutes." He wrapped an arm around her and again ran his fingers over the snake. "When did you get this?"

Tifa giggled. "I was a bit of a rebel when I was young."

Zack couldn't argue with that. He laid back down and let Tifa snuggle against him. He was all ready to drift off himself when the shrill beep of his phone broke the calm silence. Groaning he reached over and flipped it open, holding it to his ear.

"Hello?"

"Zack, where are you, we need you down here, they've given us a mission." It was Angeal. Tifa grimaced and got up as he talked. She started getting dressed, putting on jazz pants, a black vest top and a grey pineapple hoodie. He hung up and looked at her, knowing what she was thinking. She gave him a wry smile.

"Its fine. Go, I have college anyway." he got up and pulled his boxers on before grabbing Tifa and pulling her backwards to him, planting kisses up her neck. "If I'm good Angeal will probably let me come back earlier. Can I come back here?" Tifa grinned at him and kissed him before nodding.

"Of course." Zack smiled and turned away to get dressed and ready for a long day.

Tifa locked the door to the bar and turned to Zack, who held his hand out as they started walking. Tifa took it at once and then stopped. "Different ways smarty-pants." Zack rolled his eyes. "If you think I'm letting a beautiful woman like you walk alone through midgar you got another thing coming."

Tifa started to blush; she could feel it so she bent her head a little as they walked.

"You'll be late." Zack shrugged. "Considering I don't even want to go, it doesn't matter." Tifa blushed harder and Zack couldn't get the grin off his face. They got to the college and stopped, Tifa not wanting to actually let go of his hand. "Well, this is my stop. Be careful out there OK?"

Zack nodded and kissed her forehead. "Always am." Out of the corner of his eye, in a well lit room, were all Tifas' classmates practically pressed up against the windows. So he bent again and kissed her as hard as he could, and she was more than happy to return it, even if her face was bright red afterwards. She smiled and waved as she went inside.

"WHO THE HELL WAS THAT?" Christian, Tifas' best friend, practically screamed at her as she came in. Tifa laughed and shushed him. "That was Zack."

"THAT WAS ZACK! HOLY HELL HES FIT!" Bekki, a British beauty with big eyes and black hair said whilst trying to hang out of the window as far as she could to see him. Everyone in the room then proceeded to ask her a question about him. Tifa was so embarrassed.

She put her stuff down and Nadira, a preppy girl with pink hair falling to her shoulders sat next to her. "So are you two….you know?" Tifa leant her forehead on her knees.

"I have no idea. I mean last night we went for a drink, and had a really nice time and this morning we…."she made a gesture she hoped would explain it, and it did because Nadira started biting her lower lip. "Do you like him in that way?" Tifas growing smile confirmed it.

"But there's one problem…no, two actually…he's a soldier and Clouds' best friend, what if it goes horribly wrong?" Nadira sympathized and hugged her. "Just go with what your heart says." And she got up and went over to the rest of the class. Tifa followed her, but not before muttering "yeah cause that's worked so well before."

Everyone slowly calmed down from the subject of Zack as Myles, their tutor came in and started rehearsal's. They were doing a production of Les miserables in a week's time, which was the biggest production Tifa had done all her life, and Myles had given her the role of Fantine, A principal role, so the pressure was really on.

As Myles left them in the care of Danny, his husband and a professional musical director, Tifa started thinking of who she was going to invite. The kids wanted to see it, that was already confirmed, and Cloud said he and Arieth would like to come, and Yuffie practically demanded she get her a ticket….and maybe Zack would…

She shook her head. Who was she kidding; he would be bored shitless at a stupid college production . But then again it wouldn't hurt to ask.

They practiced the group pieces and stayed behind to go through "I dreamed a dream" when in what seemed like half an hour the class finished for the day. Tifa glanced at the clock; it had only been three hours. Three hours of Zack being gone to some remote corner of the country.

She decided to walk home today; it wasn't worth the bother of waiting for the bus.

It gave her a chance to think about the past 24 hours. About how her relationship with Zack had sky rocketed. She grinned. She was more than pleased with her song choice now. She almost skipped home and flicked the TV on. A News report was giving the update on the soldier mission, and Tifa turned the volume up and made sure she kept glancing at it. All seemed well so far.

Singing softly to herself, she went upstairs and changed into a pair of denim shorts and a snug fitting black t shirt, swiping a brush through her hair and spraying a bit of perfume. She kept listening out for the news report whilst pouring a glass of wine. Her train of concentration was broken with the phone, and glaring at the object after jumping four foot in the air, she answered.

"Hello?"

"YO shlag, whatcha doin?" Tifa laughed at Yuffies' greeting. It was normal to her, yet to anyone else it would've been an eyebrow raiser.

"Nothing much bitchface, why?"

"Oh good, maybe I can come over and you could explain WHAT THE HELL YOUR DOING SNOGGING A SOLDIER!" Tifa couldn't help but laugh down the phone.

"Oh relax its only Zack, we can trust him."

"ZACK! Tifa I never thought id say this but are you ABSOLUTELY CRAZY! YOU DON'T DATE FRIENDS! It's like the law! That's it; I'm on my way, open the wine." Tifa rolled her eyes. This was going to take a while. She didn't have time to come up with a snappy comeback before Yuffie hung up. Tifa pinched the bridge of her nose and got ready for the onslaught.

A thought struck her. If Yuffie knew then Barrett most likely knew by now….shit.

Tifa shook her head. So what if he knew? It was her life. About an hour and a half later (Yuffie never was on time) the door went and Tifa already knew who it was so she swung the door open and screamed "Look its my fucking life so if you've come here to interrogate me you can fuck right off!"

"Well Jeez, good to see you too beautiful." Tifa opened her eyes where she had screwed them up in anger, and met Zacks purple ones. She hung her head. "Sorry, I didn't know it'd be you." Zack laughed. "Well duh, I figured that much. Now can I please come in, its cold, I smell and I spy booze." Tifa grinned and let him in, flopping on the sofa.

Zack flopped beside her and almost immediately Tifa pulled him in for a kiss. It took Zack by surprise for a second but then he just went with it. After about half a minute, he pulled back.

"What's got into you? Miss me?" he said with a smirk. Tifa mocked a sneer and lightly kicked him.

"Maybe. Now get upstairs, because you were right you do smell." Zack pouted but Tifa just raised her eyebrow. Zack admitted defeat and played on hanging his head and sniffing as he went upstairs, deliberately stomping.

"You're such a twat!" Tifa called after him.

"You love it!" was her reply. She laughed and shook her head. The door went again and she answered it to Yuffies' raised eyebrow as she was glaring at Zacks car, which he had picked up on the way home from work.

"Hello. He's upstairs having a shower so be careful what you say." Yuffie sighed. "I'm sorry. It was just a bit of a shock. So you guys are together?" Tifa let out a breath. "Yes, that's how we see it, so come inside, hell be done in a minute." Yuffie smiled and bounced past her. "So, come on, spill, what's he like?"

Tifa looked puzzled. "You've known Zack for ages you know what he's like." Then it hit her. "Ohhhh you mean like that. Hmm. Well, I can't really explain it…"

Yuffie rolled her eyes and started bouncing on the balls of her feet. "On a scale of 1 to 10!"

Tifa pulled a face. "Errrrrr about 9.5" Yuffie squealed. And at first Tifa thought she was laughing but the laughter was too deep to be Yuffie. She went white.

Turning she saw Zack almost collapsing with laughter, holding on the bannister halfway down the stairs. When he eventually calmed down and straightened, he wiped his eyes.

"So tell me dearest, what do I have to improve on to get that extra point five?" Yuffie had joined in his laughter now, and Tifa just wanted a hole to swallow her.

Yuffie finished and tried to swallow her laughter. "Aw man, you two stay together forever you hear me! I got to go Teef, only had time to literally stop by, bye whore!" she gave the barmaid a hug and skipped out of the bar.

By this point Tifa had sat on the sofa and put her head in her hands. Zack grinned and sat next to her, pulling her hands away from her beetroot face. "Aw I didn't mean to embarrass you babe." Tifa smirked and instead put a pillow in front of her face. "I'm not embarrassed."

Zack grinned, putting a hand on her leg and stroking it, nibbling her earlobe. "Yes you are. Now lemme see that pretty face of yours." Tifa put the cushion down and turned to him, mocking a glare.

She kissed him and they sat there for about five minutes in their own little world. Tifa pulled away finally to catch her breath and before the barrage of making out started again, she managed to ask, "So what was the mission about?" Zack rolled his eyes. "Nothing important." Tifa gave him a serious look. "It is to me."

"It was just a few clones running about in Kalm." Tifa sighed. "Oh I see, get them sorted?" Zack nodded against her neck, which was where he had travelled with his kisses as she was talking. He kissed it again and Tifa pushed his head up to face her. "Zack can I ask you something?" Zack nodded and leant against the back of the sofa.

"I have a performance coming up next week…" his confused look made her smile. "Its a production of Les miserables, I don't know if you've heard of it?"

"Oh I see, cool, can I come?" Tifa stopped. "Really, you want to come?" Zacks grin got wider.

"Course I do, I've never heard you sing properly, and I wanna see it. So what day is it? " Tifa couldn't believe it.

"Thursday is when everyone else is coming. You seriously want to see it?" Zack exaggerated a sigh.

"I said yes didn't I? So you got any solos?" Tifa grinned.

"Yep, I've got the role of Fantine, I'm nervous as hell." Zack smiled and kissed the top of her head. "Well don't be even if you lose your voice or the power goes out, you'll be amazing to me."

Tifa laughed. "You know you're not going to get brownie points by kissing my butt." Zack chuckled and kissed her again. "Can I do it anyway?" Tifa creased up and playfully smacked him. "What? I wasn't being dirty! Honest!" Zack said, but this just made Tifa worse.

"There is no way on this earth I letting your lips near my butt." Zack nuzzled her neck and put his hand on her breast. "You let them everywhere else."

Tifa stuck her tongue out and just snuggled closer to him, which Zack was more than happy with.

"So even though I won't know it, which songs are you singing?"

Tifa sputtered a laugh. "I dreamed a dream, lovely ladies, my death, etc."

Zack let out his own chuckle "how convenient that you should be singing about lovely ladies."

Tifa pouted. "in all fairness they gave it to me like three months ago." Zack laughed again. " then your psychic."

Tifa let out a snort. "yeah alright, cause if I knew my life would end up as a stupid barmaid with two kids like I really would've said 'OK lets keep it that way'" Zack rolled his eyes. "oh come on your more than a barmaid."

Tifa let out a sharp laugh. "Oh yeah, I'm a national terrorist, thanks for reminding me, I almost forgot that I have Shinra hunting me down."

Zack wanted change the subject as fast as possible. "So what's les mis actually about? My mom's seen it but I haven't."

And the evening was spent with her describing it to him, the story, about who Fantine was and her story. At the end of it, Zack kissed her gently and run a hand down her face. "I'm really proud of you."

"I can see it in your eyes." she ran her fingers over his closed eyelids. "Your beautiful eyes."

Zack sighed. "Sometimes I feel like they're not mine any more." Tifa could see it was upsetting him so she smirked.

"Zack..." she said, dragging out the last letter until it as almost a purr. Zack smirked back and raised an eyebrow.

"What?" Tifa grinned, her tongue showing through her teeth.

"Want me to show you what lovely ladies is about?" Zacks smirk got bigger. "Sure, why not?" Tifa got up and went to the stairs, looking at him and licking her lips. "Race you upstairs. First one up there gets to have their fun first."

Safe to say, that was the fastest Zack had run in his entire life.


	3. Taking chances

Zack woke to the feel of soft skin against him. He opened his eyes after taking a deep breath, and looked down at Tifa, gently laughing a she slept with a small smile on her face, sub consciously snuggling deeper into his chest.

He noticed that her hair had a slight wave to it, so he figured she must straighten it. He liked it like this. He ran his fingers through it, and where it was so long, as he got to the ends, he could rest his hand on the small of her back.

She stirred, her eyes opening a little, then gradually building the will power to flutter completely open. She got up, leaning on her elbow, her hair ruffled, and her face bare of make-up. She smiled, and kissed him on the cheek.

"Good morning gorgeous." he said, and she made him laugh by looking behind her, faking a confused look and then pointing to herself.

"Yes you, you silly goose." and with that he pulled her in for a kiss, but she put a finger on his lips.

"As much as I love you, I will not kiss you when you have morning breath." Zack laughed as she got up and put her bra and panties on. "I have college until five today, I hope you have something to do."

Zack shrugged. "I'll find something. You want a lift home?" Tifa turned and smiled. "If you don't mind." Zacks' look made her giggle.

As the morning passed, Zack dropped Tifa at college, and then decided that he might as well go to work and sort out some paperwork he tried so hard not to do.

As he walked into his new office that Angeal wangled to get him, and sank into the chair, no sooner had he sat down then Reno was leaning against the door frame, a smirk spreading across his face.

"A little dicky bird, (a.k.a Yuffie) has told me that you're dating Tifa big tits." Zack glared at the nickname.

"Call her that again and you'll never see a pair again." Reno held his hands up in defence.

"Alright, alright I won't. So is it true?"

Zack sighed. "Yes it's true, so what?"

Reno turned on his heel, a sceptical look on his face. "Well, you know what we gotta do to those avalanche people dude. Think you'll have the balls?"

Zack stood up so fast his chair fell backwards with a clatter; he slammed his palms on the desk and snarled. "I will not hurt her."

Reno's look changed to smug. "Well, if you don't, someone else will."

At quarter past five, Tifa strode from the college, glad that Zack told her to call him when she was done. She pulled out her cell phone and adjusted her black skinny jeans. After a few rings she heard a grunt and dubbed that grunt Zack.

"Whoa, what's fucked you off?" she heard a sigh.

"Nothing you need to worry about. You all finished?" Tifa still had her doubts but shrugged. "Yeah, and I need some food, a.s.a.p."

Zack chuckled. "I can fix that, I'll be ten minutes." Tifa smiled into phone and hung up, shivering a little from cold.

As he pulled up she could see he still looked pissed, so she tenderly got in the car and for the first minute and half of the journey, the car as silent save for the quiet voice of the radio host. She knitted her brows and turned it off. "So are you going to tell me what's wrong or is it a guessing game?"

Zacks' fingers gripped the wheel a little more, then letting out a sigh he turned to her. "Bad day at the office. I'm sorry. Want to eat out tonight? My treat?" Tifa leaned back in her seat and bit her lip.

"I could really murder a Nandos right about now." Zack chuckled.

"Well, first time for everything." This is the point where Tifa sat straight up and looked at him in horror.

"What?" He honest to god thought her jaw was going to hit the floor.

"You've never had a Nandos?" Zack slowly nodded. She looked as if she was going to have a heart attack.

"Are you nuts? Nandos is the best god-damn food in the world! OK, do you like chicken?" he nodded again, still in shock at her reaction.

"Do you like fries?" another scared nod.

"Then you'll love Nandos. You might wanna take this left." Zack obeyed.

Once they got there, obviously Tifa knew exactly what she was doing, which made Zack curious as to how many times she had actually been here. They sat down and Zack felt like a lost puppy reading the menu.

"For now just get what I'm getting, how's that sound?" Zack looked at her and grinned.

"Sounds like something the couple from the notebook would do." Tifa laughed and got up to order their food. Zack smiled after her and sighed. His pocket vibrated and he looked to see who it was. It was only Tseng, so he could wait.

He beamed as Tifa brought over their drinks and a bottle. "OK, these are refillable, and this is the sauce that makes this place so delicious, give me your finger."

Zack obeyed, she poured a few drops on and he stuck it in his mouth, contemplating the taste. He smiled. "That's really good." Tifa leaned in and smirked

"just wait till dinner arrives."

They didn't have that long to wait, and Tifa watched with a grin as he took the first bite. "Well?" Zack hung his head, and swallowed his chicken and his pride.

"It's fucking delicious." Tifas grin got wider. "Knew it. Guessing we're coming here again then?

After dinner Zack got in the car beside Tifa and thought. "Ok I've been to yours what, three times this week?" Tifa nodded, looking confused.

"How about tonight you stay at mine?" Tifa grinned. "Ok, I'd like that." Zack leaned over to kiss her then started the engine.

After unlocking the door and hanging Tifas' jacket up for her, he grabbed her from behind and planted kisses all the way down her face, making her giggle like a little girl.

She turned around and put her arms around his neck, kissing him once and poking his nose.

Zack was just settling down with her when a brisk bang on his door snapped him from his dream bubble.

Tifa gave him a confused look and followed him a little ways to see who it was. Zacks muscled frame blocked the view, but she could tell Elenas' voice anywhere. And that was bad.

Because she knew that the Turks and soldiers both had strict orders to shoot to kill if they ever saw her or any other member of avalanche.

She ran to the kitchen as quietly as she could, knowing the back door was there. Elena was asking him why he had a woman's coat there. She giggled as he told her to mind her own business and slammed the door shut.

Before he had time to come inside she ran to his bedroom and opened her huge handbag, frowning a little at a very slinky black number that Yuffie had obviously got in the Anne Summers sale and snuck in there.

She deliberated and after hearing Zack call for her, she rolled her eyes and shoved it back in like it was diseased. She knew she was blushing like mad, which made it even harder to go back in. "err I'll be right out! Just gimme a sec ok?"

So after changing from sweaty dance gear to normal human clothes of leggings and an oversized jumper, she just sat on the bed and thought. She was starting to wonder whether this was moving way too fast for her liking.

She took a huge breath and stood, looking at herself in the mirror. This time last year- no scratch that, this month, she was just a barmaid raising two children and living with her best friend.

She went into the kitchen with a smile on her face, moving up to zack, who was facing away from her flicking through DVDS, and wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her head on his back. Zack straightened and swivelled around.

"What's this all about?" Tifa rested her chin on his chest and looked up at him.

"Nothing. I'm just happy." Zack kissed her head and grinned. "That makes two of us." Tifa frowned, pulling away slightly.

"But do you think we're moving a bit fast? I mean, these past few weeks have been amazing but I…I hardly know you really." She crossed her arms and looked at the floor. Zack sighed and rubbed the back of his neck.

"Well now's the best time to get to know each other. I tell you what, well go on a date. And honest to god date. We can even pretend we've never met if you want." Tifa couldn't help but giggle at the way he was getting excited about it.

"Ok, when d'you want to do it?" Zacks grin was taking over his face. "Tomorrow. I'll pick you up from your house. Get yourself even more astonishingly beautiful than you already are and I'll give you a night you'll never forget." Tifa rolled her eyes.

"If you're talking about haircuts and stuff, I haven't been able to afford one in nearly a year. And you've seen my nice dress." Zack motioned for her to wait a sec and ran to his jacket, pulling out his wallet. Tifas' eyes went wide with horror.

"No! No way Zack, I'm not taking any money from you!" Zack dramatically sighed. "You're not taking it, I'm giving it to you. Think of it as a present from me."

He handed her a silver Credit Card and curled her fingers around it. "The pin number is my favourite bowling for soup song, get your hair done get some new clothes or anything that takes your fancy. My treat." Tifa smiled.

"No one's ever done this for me before." Zack smiled and held her hands in his. "No one's made me feel like this. So we're even."

He kissed her forehead and sat them both down on the sofa. Tifa bit her lip. "So you're ok with a woman with baggage?" Zack eyebrow rose.

"You mean the kids? Of course I am! Jeez I'm not that shallow." Tifa giggled and flicked his nose.

"Calm down I was only asking. Maybe we should spend some time with them tomorrow, I feel like I've been neglecting them a little bit." Zack nodded.

"Maybe you can take Marlene shopping with you." Tifa yawned, leaning onto his chest. "Yeah that sounds like a good idea, you, Denzel and Cloud can do something too. Some man time."

Zack chuckled. "Cause we're manly men." Tifa started laughing again, slapping his arm lightly. She could feel her eyes getting heavier so she got up and wandered to his bedroom, flopping on the bed and rolling the duvet around her.

She heard the door open and Zack roll her out again. She made a noise that sounded like a surprised cat. "Do you mind?" Zack smiled and lay down with her, rolling them both up.

"Tired dearest?" Tifa nodded, her eyes closed. "You try dying over and over and seeing how you feel at the end of the day." Zacks arms held her close, and she slowly just fell asleep in his arms.


	4. To Twilight Kingdom

**Tifa unlocked the door to the bar, trying not to wake anyone up. She needed a change of clothes, quick. Zack had gone to get them some breakfast, and she was going to get Marlene up to go shopping with her. She frowned. It sounded so….girly. She hadn't bought new clothes in the history of ever. She went to the kid's room and sat on the pink bed, slowly shaking the lump in the middle. "Mars?" it squirmed. She could hear her. "Marlene I know your awake. Listen I need you to come shopping with me." Marlene sat right up. "What, you never go shopping, that's more of an Arieth thing." Tifa rolled her eyes. "Yeah I know but I've got my marching orders. You coming or not?" Marlene nodded, pushing back the covers and giving Tifa a hug before getting five more minutes. Tifa pulled her cell phone out and dialed for Yuffie. After a few rings, a groggy voice made a noise that sounded between a grunt and a child having a tantrum. "You better have a damn good reason for calling me at this god forsaken hour of the day." Tifa checked her watch and frowned. "Yuffie its half ten in the morning." "On a Saturday, that's considered unholy." "Whatever, listen, me and Marlene are going shopping today, you in?" "You! Shopping? Seriously?" "Yuffie are you coming or not!" Tifa was starting to regret this decision already. "Yeah sure I'll meet you there." Tifa groaned.**

** About an hour later they found Yuffie trying to add soap to the fountain in the middle of the shopping Centre, so after practically dragging her away, Tifa decided the first thing to do was get a new dress. "Ok where should we go?" Marlene looked around "there!" Yuffie couldn't help but laugh her socks off, since Marlene was pointing at Anne Summers. Tifas face resembled a cherry due to embarrassment. "No sweetie that's a…..really big girl shop." She pulled on Marlene's hand before she got any redder and instead found a shop called G.O.S.H. "they have dresses." Yuffie started raiding the rails, Marlene was too busy looking at the shoes, And Tifa was a little lost to say the least. This was unknown territory. She started flicking through the dresses and a couple looked remotely classy but some just looked awful. **

"**Can I help you with anything?" an unfamiliar voice asked behind her, and after fighting the urge to attack, she turned and smiled, grateful for some help. "Yes maybe you can, see I have a date tonight and I'm looking for a new dress." The young girl, barely out of her teens it looked, beamed and clasped her hands together. "Perfect. Do you know where you're going so we can coordinate with that?" Tifa frowned. "No, I don't that's the thing. He literally just said 'we're going on a date' and here I am." The girl- Samantha, her name tag read, nodded in a way that said she had done it before. "Ok what about a simple LBD?" Tifa smiled. "Lead the way." As they walked past, Marlene whispered to Yuffie "I thought LBD was a sandwich." **

** About an hour later, the three of them were sitting in Kfc munching on popcorn chicken and trying to decide which shoes Tifa was going to wear. "Ok first things first, you're getting your hair cut." Yuffie said, chicken flying out of her mouth. "Shut your mouth ninja girl. Literally. Ok but what do I get done?" Marlene stopped playing with the little plastic toy that came with her meal and looked at her mother seriously. "I think you should have it short." Both Yuffie and Tifa looked at her. "No way, I look like I could be Yuffies mom already, that'll make it worse." Yuffie pulled one of her faces. "But I think she's onto something there. Have it up, and styled and pretty!" Tifa grimaced. "Ok fine but it needs a cut anyway."**

** Later that evening they stumbled through the front door, their feet aching and bags hanging from their arms. She had her dress and her shoes and everything was in place, her friend Deano, a hairdresser, was coming over later to do her hair for her because she knew she would just end up stressing. Yuffie started helping Marlene open and untie the many wire bits from the little Disney doll that Tifa had treated her to for behaving so well. Tifa checked her voicemail. Well, Zack had kept to his word and not called all day. She was kind of jittery to call him but she knew Yuffie would take it like they were getting married and wrench the phone from her, so she snuck away into the other room. She couldn't help but grin as the phone rang on until the familiar deep voice answered. "Hey gorgeous what's up?" Tifa grinned even more. "Hopefully nothing of yours or you'll be very embarrassed. Just quickly calling to say everything's pretty much ready for tonight this end." **

"**Aw excellent, well I've booked everything this end so I guess we're good to go." Tifa gave a sigh of contentment. "I really can't wait."**

"**Neither can I babe. I promise you it'll be an amazing night. Listen I gotta go, Cloud and Reno are having a catfight." She could hear a slight ruckus in the background and she couldn't help but laugh. "Ok, I'll see you later…..what time are you picking me up again?"**

"**Errrrrr….bout half seven." **

"**Ok, see you later baby….I love you"**

"**I love you too."**

**Tifa turned just in time to see Yuffie and Marlene standing there doing mock kissy face. She frowned and batted them softly. **

"**See you later baby, I love you! Kissy kissy mwah mwah mwah!" Yuffies mocking baby voice was heard as she bounced down the hallway, the sound of the kitchen cupboards following soon after. Tifa shook her head and followed, pulling the teen from hers and clouds private stash of goodies. She sighed and that alone made Yuffie a little concerned. "What's wrong?" Tifa shrugged and got busy making drinks. **

"**It's just a lot to get my head around you know?" Yuffie heaved herself onto the kitchen side.**

"**Teef relationships are always scary in the beginning, look, do you feel like you have to put on airs and graces to impress him?" Tifas eyebrow rose but she nodded still.**

"**Yeah well soon that'll fade the more comfortable you get with him, and you'll be letting out your signature burps in no time." Tifas' eyes went a little bit wider than usual. **

"**I am not doing that in front of Zack, maybe to impress some of the punters but not for him!"**

**Yuffie grinned. "We'll see. Come on let's get you ready" **

**Ten minutes later and they were sat in front of Tifas' dressing table, Deano had just arrived and was trying to dumb down hairdressers lingo to Tifa. "Dean, I just want something pretty." The redhead thought for a moment then lifted two bits of hair. "I think you should have your natural curls. Then there's not much that will need doing apart from the fringe." Cocking her head to the side and really trying to visualize it, she smiled. "That'll be perfect." With a small clap of his hands, Deano started to get to work, and in ten minutes she looked like a completely different person. She spent a while on her makeup, putting more effort in then usual, finishing with a cream cocktail dress with a lace shrug, and a black lace slash across the waist, with black tights and heels. She was standing in front of the full length mirror in her room. "I look stupid." Yuffie shook her head in frustration. She had been saying this for nearly ten minutes. "Tifa for the last time you look fantastic and that's the truth." Tifa gave her a small smile. "Thanks Yuffie, it means alo…" she was cut off by the sound of the doorbell. "Oh my god, that's Zack! What do I do?" Yuffie stood on her toes and grabbed her shoulders and shook her. "Calm the fuck down! Seriously! Jeez just go down and answer the door!" Tifa took the biggest breath she could and slowly walked down the stairs, partly because she was nervous, and partly because she had little experience in heels. ****Apprehensively she opened the door, taking in what she saw. Zack was indeed in a suit, but she was thankful he hadn't put a tie on and just left a few buttons undone at the top and he still had his big mess of spikes. He took one look at her and grinned. "Good god, who knew you could turn an angel into a goddess?" he kissed her cheek and she frowned. "That is quite possibly the cheesiest thing I have ever heard, but thank you. So where are we going?" She said goodbye to Yuffie, who had been allocated the job of babysitter for the lovely fee of just all night fridge privileges. **

"**Nope. not telling." Tifa pouted. **

"**Not even a hint? Oh my god it better not be a strip joint!" Zack snapped his head round and looked at her in horror. "What the fuck? What kind of a man do you think I am?" Tifa started giggling "I'm sorry, that's where my last boyfriend took me." Zack couldn't hold in the chuckle that escaped his lips. "Oh wow, he sounded like a keeper." Tifa shook her head. "That was the first and last date." **

**Zack let her in the car and pulled away from the drive, but halfway up the road he pulled back over. "Zack what are you doing?" Zack leaned over and kissed her. "I haven't seen you all day and I was gagging for one." Tifa begged her brain not to let her blush but apparently her brain was against her. "You're so mushy." **

"**That's your fault." **

"**Is not!"**

"**Is too!"**

"**Is not!"**

"…**.we're here."**

**Tifa looked out the window and the breath caught in her throat. "Oh my god….Zack this is….The notte ****d'amore****? It's impossible to get a reservation here!"**

**Zack grinned. "Not for a First class soldier it's not." **

**Tifa grinned. "Isn't that an abuse of your power?"**

**Zack put a finger to his lips. "not if you don't tell anyone." They both laughed and Zack helped Tifa out of the car. Trying not to fall flat on her butt Tifa focused on walking In a straight line as the Maitre D' took them to their table. Tifa started reading the menu and just the length of the names of some of the dishes confused her. She looked up and Zack was still staring at her. "What? Do I have mascara on my face?" Zack chuckled. **

"**Nope. You just look Absolutely astonishing tonight." Biting back a blush the best she could Tifa smiled at him. "well I didn't know you scrubbed up so well." His goofy grin grew bigger. They ordered their food because the waitress looked like she had no time to wait for gushy conversations, and they just….talked. it was nice. **

"**And that doesn't even cover the time that Marlene convinced herself, and I mean CONVINCED herself, that I was the reincarnation of Snow White, and Cloud the huntsman!" Zack tried to quiet his laughter down. "Kids minds…god knows what goes through them."**

"**Hey we've all been there, and Reno is a fine example that sometimes you stay there." Zack pointed his fork at her. **

"**Hey you knock Reno but he's always your best customer."**

**Tifa snorted. "Yeah, when he's got the fricken money!" zack smiled. He played with the last potato on his plate.**

"**Would you want to have any kids of your own?" Tifa tried not to choke on her rum as she processed the question. **

"**Er someday maybe…well actually…maybe soon." In all honesty, she really hadn't thought about it. **

"**Why?" Zack shrugged. "No reason." **

"**No go on, does the big bad soldier want a family?" Zack mocked a hurt expression.**

"**We still have feelings you know! And yeah…maybe I do."**

"**With me?" Tifa regretted it as soon as she said it.**

"…**.maybe." Tifa couldn't help but smile. **

**After dinner was done Zack paid a valet to take the car home and they just wandered hand in hand, still talking.**

**They stopped at the park, which had a huge duck pond in the middle with a winding path, with benches dotted around. They sat down on one and she took her shoes off, rubbing the angry red strap marks it had left on her feet. **

"**You know you didn't have to go to all that trouble for me." Tifa sat back and leant her head on his shoulder. "Now you tell me." Zack smiled as he held her closer. "I don't want this to ever end."**

"**you're doing It again."**

"**Doing what?"**

"**Being totally mushy."**

"**I honestly can't help it." **

**The Rest of the night went pretty smoothly, up until the point that they walked past a movie theatre and Zack begged and begged Tifa to go and see the Woman in Black. There was a slight problem with this. Ghost movies Terrified Tifa. She was fine with Zombies vampires and monsters, but ghost, movies had made her scared ever since her older brother had convinced her that her room was haunted when she was a little girl. But the size of Zacks pleading eyes got the better of her. She knew she was going to regret this but screw it. Before she knew it they were sitting in the theatre and the credits had just started rolling.**

**For most of the movie Tifas face had glued itself to the crook of Zacks arm and her eyes were screwed shut so tightly she didn't think they'd ever open again. They were almost home and she couldn't help but keep looking behind her. **

"**you could've just said no tifa!"**

"**How was I supposed to resist those eyes?" Zack frowned.**

"**I feel really bad now though." Tifa smiled. **

"**Its fine."**

**Zack was about to apologize again when Tifas phone started ringing, sounding like a shriek in the darkness. It was Barrett. She gave Zack an apologetic look and went over to the trees on the other side of the road. "What is it?"**

"**I need you to come back to seventh heaven. Emergency meeting. Now." Tifa sighed. **

"**Barrett I cant right now. Can it wait till later?"**

"**We'll wait for you to get back. Don't be long." Tifa was starting to wonder what this was all about. She tried to put it out of her mind as she went back to Zack and took his hand.**

"**Anything wrong?" Tifa smiled and leant against his arm.**

"**Yeah it was the woman in black telling me I'm gonna die."Zack couldn't help but chuckle at her calm look. **

"**Hey Zack…..do you mind spending the night at your place tonight? I've got some stuff to take care of…." Zack rolled his eyes.**

"**Of course I don't, Tifa it's your house if you don't want me there one night just tell me and ill go home and cry." Tifa was grateful for his good nature. **

**She got to the bar after saying a very mushy goodbye to Zack to indeed find most members of avalanche there, even Cloud. **

"**Ok what's going on? Is this about me and zack?"Barrett shook his head.**

"**As much as I don't like that, there's a bigger fish." He laid a blueprint on the table they had moved to the middle of the room.**

**Yuffie leaned over it, only moving when Cid shoved her back for blocking his view. "What's that?" **

"**Plans for a new mako reactor." Tifa tilted her head.**

"**So what, we're gonna do what we normally do and destroy it?" Again Barrett shook his head.**

"**No, this reactors like nothing I've ever seen before. There using it for something over than just lighting a few bulbs." Cid put his hands on the table. **

"**Well, fucking spit it out asshole! We aint got all day!"**

**Barrett gave him a threatening look and looked directly at Tifa. It scared her the way his eyes were fixed on her. **

"…**They're gonna use it on all first class soldiers. Theyre going to lock them in and see whether the radiation will kill them or make them stronger."**

**It took a minute for the words to hit but Tifa felt her legs buckle and she had to hold on to the edge of the table.**

"…**Zacks first class."**


	5. Climbing Over ther Rocky Mountain

A few hours had passed and Tifas' stomach still hadn't settled. She was trying to process what Barrett had just revealed but it wasn't happening. Yuffie brought her a small glass of whiskey, but her trembling hands couldn't hold onto the glass so the ninja put it on the table behind her. "She's gone really pale."

Cloud sighed. "You really expected her to be ok after that?"

"She can't be that attached to him already can she?!" Cloud sent Cid a withering look and just as a very rude reply was about to unleash its wrath on the pilot the shrill ring of Tifas phone sounded.

The poor woman just looked down at her pocket and lifted her head back up and stared blankly at the wall. Cloud shook his head and dug it out for her, reading "Zack 3" on the medium sized screen. He groaned. Bad timing.

"Hey."

"Wow what the fuck happened to your voice?"

"It's cloud. Tifa's….unavailable." this had Zack worried as soon as he said it.

"Cloud where is she? Is she ok?"

"Zack now's not a good time ok?!"

"That's it I'm coming over!" Cloud stared to panic, and before he had the chance to beg him not to there was nothing but dial tone on the end.

"Fuck….fuck. FUCK!" Cloud bent down to Tifas' eye level and gently held her shoulders.

"Tifa look I know what you just heard was probably one of the most devastating things ever

but listen, Zack's on his way and I need you to be talking and functional by then ok? Otherwise ill get my teeth kicked in and the delivery service doesn't have dental."

Tifa blinked. She slowly stood up and clenched a fist.

"I think you should all go." Yuffie frowned but nodded, looking at the others.

"Ok, we'll be back later though ok? Tifa?" she didn't get a response so she took that as a meaning to go. After the door closed, she let out a massive sigh.

She grabbed the glass and threw it as hard as she could against the wall, shattering the glass and ice, leaving a puddle on the wall.

She looked at it and immediately regretted it, so she bent to pick the glass up but instead ended up burying a shard in her palm.

Cursing the world she pulled it out and put her hand over the steady stream of blood oozing down it.

To make it worse there was a furious banging at the door and she only just managed to open it with her elbow. She stomped over to the sink ignoring Zack at first until he pulled her arm.

"What's that? How the fuck did that happen?!" she shrugged.

"I had a fight with a glass." He forced a laugh, going through the cupboards until he found a small first aid kit.

He sat her down next to the sink and washed her hand, frowning at the gash covering her lower palm. An uncomfortable silence reigned until Tifa blurted.

"Please don't ever go to work again!" Zack stopped short and unceremoniously dropped her hand, immediately picking it back up again after the massive wince and cradled it gently.

"Where did that come from sweetheart?" Tifa couldn't help but just sit there and cry. Zack quickly bandaged her hand and held her close.

"Hey what's the matter? Half an hour ago we were having the best night ever."

"I…..I don't think you should go back. It's dangerous."

"Dangerous? Tifa will you just tell me what's wrong?" Tifa stood up and shook her head.

"No….I can't tell you, just please just trust me. You can't go back to that place."

Zack was beyond confused; he grabbed Tifa gently by the shoulders and brought his face to hers.

"Tifa even if I wanted to, I couldn't just up and go. What the hell has shaken you up so badly?" then it hit him.

"You've just had avalanche here haven't you? What did they say to you?"

"Their building a new reactor…." Zack rolled his eyes. "Yeah so?"

"They're building reactors to make new soldiers." Zacks stomach dropped.

"Are you serious? Like they did with the..."

"The jenova project. But this time they're going to try it on living test subjects. And your name…" she choked, tears falling onto the kitchen floor. Zack frantically grabbed her shoulders, placing one hand under her chin to lift her face up.

"What about my name? Tifa please your killing me here."

"They're the ones who are gonna be killing you zack! Your names at the top of the list to be worked on!" Zack stood up, trying to take in what she just screamed at him. He went to the door.

"Zack where are you going?!" her voice seemed distant, he looked ahead, it's because he was running, running fast towards the beacon that was the Shinra building.

Tifas panicked cries for him to go back for fading.

It couldn't be true. It must have been a big joke.

He burst through the doors and kept running, not breaking the sprint for even a second, not bothering to wait for the lift he ran up to floor 41. He stopped when he saw Angeal. Hopefully he had answers and would tell him this was just a trick Shinra were playing on avalanche to scare them.

"Angeal…" tears were pricking his eyes. This was strange, he never cried. He didn't cry when he left gongaga to join Shinra, he didn't cry when Sephiroth went mad. But maybe it's because he now had something to hold onto.

"Zack what's wrong you look as if your about to faint." Angeal guided him to a chair.

Zack explained what Tifa had told him, and as he told the tale Angeals' face went from confusion to anger to dismay and back again.

"I'll get to the bottom of this. Don't worry. I wouldn't let them touch you even if it were true." Zack looked up at him.

"But your first class too. That means you're on the list…" Angela placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder, though it brought no comfort.

"No we're not." That was all he said before walking away. Zack wiped his eyes. Angeal would fix this, he had high status at the company, he would straighten this out, and Tifa would…..

"Oh god…Tifa."

He got a cab back to the bar, and the first thing he noticed was all the lights were off. He knocked on the door. No answer. He went round the back. Locked. He tried calling her. No one there. He heard footsteps. Cloud opened the door.

"You better come in." was all he said. They both sat at the dinner table, whiskey in hand, the stain where Tifa threw hers earlier dribbling down the wall.

"…."

"…"

Zack put his glass down.

"Where is she?"

"Yuffies."

"And can I...?"

"No."

Zack grimaced. "She doesn't want to see me does she?"

Cloud carefully nodded.

"She needed you. And you ran out on her."

"That's not what it was like at all!" Zack was standing now, trying to not get aggressive, just

because there was a certain amount of truth there.

Cloud stood as well, and the tension was building even more. "Oh yeah then what the hell was it like zack? Do you realize that Tifa hasn't been this happy in YEARS, since her mom died, and you ruined it in five minutes?"

"It's not ruined!"

Cloud gritted his teeth. "Well I sure as hell aren't letting you ruin it even more."

"Is that a threat?"

"Think of it as some friendly advice." Zack snorted.

"Oh yeah cause you have the absolute moral high ground over me when it comes to abandonment don't cha Cloud? Cause you've ALWAYS been here, never ever just disappeared without even a fuckin note. Oh wait YOU'RE THE MASTER!" the men were nose to nose now and each was trying very hard to punch the other between the eyes. Zack stepped back and turned to the door.

"Just think that I'm not the only one in this room that made mistakes." He closed it behind him and called Angeal to ask him where Yuffie lived, since everyone was on file. He took a slow walk there, thinking about what he would say to Tifa is she had the sense to let him in and explain.

But Yuffie would be the biggest obstacle. She never liked him anyway, and just as she was warming to him he goes and did something like this.

He knocked on the door and a tallish woman with black straight hair down to her shoulders, and more make up then he usually saw. She wore a purple long sleeved top and a leather skirt down to the knee. "Yes?"

"Are you Yuffies mom?"

"Yeah, who wants to know?"

"Is Tifa here?"

"Maybe. Is your name Zack?"

"Yes."

"Then no, she's not here." Zack pinched the bridge of his nose. "Look, your names Kathleen right?"

"I go by Kat."

"Then let me in I really need to talk to..." Yuffie bombed down the stairs and shoved her mother out the way.

"Oh thank Christ and Mary you're here! Maybe you can get some sense out of her!" she dragged him inside and up the stairs, babbling things about Tifa that he didn't bare thinking about.

Yuffie took into her room, which was lined with shelves of material, action figures and super girly magazines. On the bed was Tifa, curled up into a little ball, breathing slowly. She was asleep.

He carefully sat down and nodded at Yuffie, who left and closed the door behind them, giving them some privacy. "Tifa?" he stroked her cheek. She slowly opened her eyes and sat up when she saw it was him.

"Where the hell were you I was so worried!" she clung to him, starting to cry again.

"I had to make sure. Don't worry Angeals sorting it." He started to cradle her, intertwining his fingers in her hair and holding her tight.

"Even if we have to run away, well stick together till the end."


	6. When it Crumbles, We will stand Tall

Zack had managed to get Tifa home that night, ignoring the glares he got from Cloud as he went up the stars with her. He carried her to the bed and took her dress and tights off, undoing her hair to save her a hairpin headache.

After putting her under the covers he sat on the edge of the bed and thought. Maybe the only option WAS to run away. But that would never work.

They'd be fugitives and shinra wouldn't stop until they found them. It would be putting them and their families in danger. Tifas phone rang underneath the pillow.

He reached for it tenderly so he wouldn't wake her and looked at the id. Dana. He didn't know her. Must be one of her sisters. Tifa did come from a big ish family.

But she never really talked about them when he was around, maybe it was to keep them hidden from avalanches agenda, he didn't know, but he did know that this Dana was anxious to talk to her because as soon as the ringing ended, two seconds later it started up again, so Tifa must've said something to her, or Yuffie maybe.

He answered it, thinking about what to say.

"Hello?"

"You're not my sister."

"Yeah, gold star. I'm Zack."

"Oh yeah, Tifa said something about you. Where is she?"

"Asleep."

"Wake her please." Zack put the phone on the bedside table and shook Tifa. "Tifa, Danas on the blower."

Tifa shifted and grabbed the phone.

"Leave please." Zack was a bit surprised but because he knew things were still raw between them, he obeyed.

He stood outside the door. He dug into his pocket and pulled out the memory stick he'd forgotten to give back to Angeal after work.

Lazard hadn't had time to find him so Zack had said he'd do it. He wondered if anything of use was on there.

He went down to the bar, scribbled a note to Tifa to tell her where he had gone and went back to his flat. Binx was sitting there meowing furiously at him for not being there to feed him, so after giving him a mountain of food, he sat at his computer and turned the stick in his fingers.

He let out a sigh and decided one little peek won't hurt.

He booted up his laptop and out the stick into the port. He spent what seemed a lifetime of scrolling and opening files. And every time his gut wrenched a bit more.

It was all true.

Everything Tifa told him was true. And there was his name, in black and white, with the words "test subject 2344." Like he was a thing. That's it. They had to go. He wasn't going to let this

happen. He had to put things in place. He fumbled with his phone.

"Angeal."

"Angeal…..you have to help me."

"Zack? Help you with what? What's going on?"

"I'll tell you later. Meet Tifa and I by Arieths' church in two hours. You know where that is?"

"Yes, but zack i- " Zack cut him off, went into his room, and slammed the door shut.

Tifa was pacing the floor. Zack had been gone for three hours and she was getting panicky. She was probably being paranoid.

She had changed into denim shorts and a t-shirt and the kids were upstairs playing video games. Cloud stood at the bar across from her.

"You're going to put a hole in the floor soon." She stopped to look at him. "You're right. Drink?" Cloud smiled and took to cap off of the bottle of rum hanging behind the bar, pouring her a glass.

"D'you think I'm in over my head Cloud?"

Cloud hung it back up. "With what? Zack? Nah he's a handful but to be frank…I think your good for each other." Tifa got up and gave her friend a hug. "I'm finally happy." Tifa grinned, bouncing backward.

"D'you know what, I'm gonna go make us all some dinner. A really fancy one. I'm gonna go make a big vat of my specialty curry!" Cloud laughed and followed as she bounced up the stairs.

As she flitted around the kitchen making dinner, Tifa felt so happy about what was happening. The news that Barrett had given her was the least of her worries, and like Zack said, Angeal would fix it, he had power in the company.

She dished up Clouds and started on hers when her phone went. It was Zack. "Hey baby! Listen when you getting here I've just made din…" she was cut off by the sound of a horn and zack swearing.

"Tifa listen I need you to do something for me ok? Listen very carefully." Tifas good mood disappeared. "Zack what's going on? What's the matter?" She heard Zacks breathing was heavy.

"I'm five minutes away, I want you to go upstairs, get the kids and pack a bag for you and them, not much just some clothes and the absolute essentials, we need to make it look like we're still there!"

"zack what the fuck is going on? Your scaring me."

"…we have to leave Midgar. Tonight."


	7. your head will collapse

Cloud couldn't get two words in edgewise whilst Tifa rushed back and forth between wardrobe and bed. "So you're just up and going?"

"Apparently. No idea where though. Where did I put those fake documents Reeve made us?"

"In the bar's safe. Tifa you really think this will work? Shinra will be shit-hot on your trail before you even leave sector seven."

Tifa straightened from closing a suitcase to face him.

"You think I don't know that? You think I don't know that I'm putting myself at risk for a man I've only been with for two weeks? That I'm THAT desperate not to die alone that I'm gonna risk getting shot in the fucking head for him!" She slammed the lid of the suitcase bursting with clothes down.

Cloud could see she was getting stressed so he grabbed her hands and gave her a hug. Tifa stiffened and pulled back. "Cloud you haven't hugged me since we were seven, what gives?"

He sighed and held her shoulders. "Tifa I'm…I'm terrified for you. You're giving me more worry lines than he does and I didn't think anyone would do that." Tifa's face fell.

"Cloud…you've never been scared of anything….in Nibelhiem I was the one who was scared for you, when Sephiroth came back I was pretty much wetting my pants. I…I have no idea what the fuck to do."

She sat on the bed and played with her hairbrush, before laying it down on top of the pile.

Cloud helped her stand. "Go sort out the kids, they're scared, they don't know what's going on. They need to see that their mom has her head on straight and knows what she's doing."

Tifa let out a long breath and rubbed Cloud's hand with her wounded one. "Thank you."

She left, and Cloud started to fold her clothes properly, knowing she would do her nut if they were messy. He laughed to himself. Normally she loved packing to go away, finding all the stuff she needed to take, then panicking and taking it all out again when she thought she forgot something.

He really didn't want her to go. Especially not with the kids. Shinra had such a big bounty on their head, and he didn't understand why she suddenly broke her vow to not involve the kids.

Though he supposed the incident with Kadaj had made them grow up a bit. Actually that was the last time he had seen Tifa scared. He remembered her scream of anguish when SIN had gone after Denzel while she was practically immobile.

He shivered. It wasn't a pleasant memory. To be honest most of them weren't. But as Arieth would say "Dilly-dally-shilly-shally". God he abhorred that phrase. But it was so goddamn catchy.

The banging of the door jarred his thoughts. He presumed it would be Zack, but got a bit of a shock when Angeal's stern and concerned look greeted his. He jumped back, furious that a solider of Shinra even dared to come here.

"Go. Now." Angeal put a hand up. "Can we call a truce for one second please? The minute I close this door I'll forget where I am I swear. I'm here about Zack and Tifa." Cloud's fists clenched even more.

"How did you find us?" he growled, he'd never done that before, maybe Tifa's joke of him being a wolf was true.

"Please listen. I trust you've heard of his crackpot plan?" Cloud left his fists tight but put them to his sides and straightened so he could look the man in the eye.

"I know. I'm not happy about it either."

"We need to stop it." Cloud snorted.

"You obviously don't know Zack very well; once he's got his mind set on something there's no changing it." Angeal sighed and bowed his head.

"There is a way. Tifa and the children need to leave….but without him." Cloud snapped his head up. "How the hell are we going to do that? Tell her that he died on the way or something?!"

Angeal's stony look made Cloud laugh. "You've got to be kidding me."

Angeal looked grave. "When he arrives I will tell him that soldier found out about their….situation. They killed you all on sight. You tell her the same, and you will take her to a safe place where you will never be found."

Cloud couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Are you crazy? She'll be absolutely devastated."

"It will pass in time."

Cloud ran his fingers through his hair. "They'll never be able to see each other. How the hell am I supposed to convince her?"

Angeal sighed. "I don't know her as well as you do. You'll think of something."

At the most awkward of moments, Tifa came running down the stairs. "Cloud have you seen my boots with the red laces? Oh…Angeal. What are you doing here?"

Angeal looked at Cloud. Cloud gulped and pleaded with him silently. Angeal sighed. "Tifa something…something's happened."

Tifa stopped short of the stairs and slowly turned. "What do you mean? Is Zack alright?"

Angeal's heart was breaking. He really wasn't good with telling families about fatalities. He always left that to Genesis or Sephiroth. Even though this was fake it hurt.

"There's been an accident. The president….he found out about your relationship." Tifa's mouth fell open, she started shaking and her knees collapsed underneath her, Cloud only just managed to catch her and hold her up.

"So…so...where is he?" Tears had already started staining her cheeks.

Angeal swallowed. This was agony. "He…he was terminated." Oh well done Angeal, what a way to fucking put it. He was an idiot. He never took off his soldier head. He needed compassionate head on now.

Tifa wailed in absolute anguish, clinging to Cloud and crying loudly. Angeal knew they had to move this plan along quickly. "Tifa, do you have a bag packed already?"

Tifa managed a small nod and tried to steady her breathing, but she couldn't. She was on the verge of a panic attack. "Why? Oh god, they're coming for us aren't they?"

Angeal was thankful she had thought ahead. "Yes. That's partly why I'm here. Now Zack has gone, as his friend it's my duty to protect those he loves. I have arranged with Cloud to take you to Kalm, to a safe house I have set up there. You will have a new identity, as will Cloud and the children. No one will know who you are."

Tifa had no idea what was going on. It was all moving so fast. Angeal took her arm and led her to a car, his most probably, and helped her inside, Cloud hurried the children into the back, telling them what was happening in as little detail as possible but just enough that they understood. They threw the bags in the back and Angeal threw his keys to him.

Cloud slammed his foot on the accelerator two minutes later after packing his own bag, and drove the opposite way from the bar that Zack would inevitably turn up at.

An hour later and they were on the main road out of Midgar. He looked across at Tifa, who hadn't stopped crying. He nudged her.

"So what was that news you were so eager to tell Zack today? You can tell me."

Tifa huffed. "It'll sound too cliché considering the circumstance."

At least she was talking. That was a start. He smiled the best he could. "Why what you gonna say? That you're pregnant or something?" Tifa looked at him and held his gaze.

Aw, hell. Just his fucking luck.


	8. How do i breathe?

Zack screeched in front of the bar. Stupid traffic holding him up. She probably thought all sorts of things about him. He backed out of the car and turned round.

To the most diabolical sight he'd ever seen in his life. He stood in front of seventh heaven, but it wasn't the bar he remembered, it was smoldering and smoking bricks and mortar.

It had burned to the ground. There was nothing left.

"What…HOW?!" he fell to his knees and looked around frantically, for any sign of Tifa, the kids, Cloud…anyone.

A familiar face. Angeal's. Angeal was here.

"Angeal, what….what the hell happened?! Where is...where are they?!" He was crying again, he was being stupid, she was probably fine, and they were just probably at the hospital right now.

Angeal had a hard grip on his shoulders and pulled him up to his feet by them. Zacks vision was blurring faster, the smoke stinging his eyes. "Are they…?" a tiny solemn nod. His knees buckled again

"I'm Sorry." A sudden anger burned in Zacks chest.

"You did this didn't you?!" He shoved Angeal back with such force the man stumbled, but found his footing again.

"No Zack. Some kids. Arsonists. Maybe rowdy punters." Zacks chest was tightening more. Sick. The whole thing was sick. He slowly walked into the pile of ash, it swirling up around his boots. He looked everywhere. Sifting his hands through the dirt he picked up a photo of Denzel and his birth parents.

He found a number of little things in the wreckage, and Angeal helped him pack it into his car.

He couldn't remember how he got home. But here he was. Sitting on his sofa with the charred, precious and brief memories of Tifa.

Whether it was divine intervention he didn't know but somehow a full photo album had survived the fire. It had a sticky label that had faded but read "Tifa- love dad x." He had picked it up about three times by now, but he hadn't opened it.

He took a deep breath. The cover felt so heavy as he pulled it open.

And immediately his breath caught as he stared right into the dazzling smile he'd come to adore. The smile he would never see again, the laugh he'd never have the pleasure to hear again, a pleasure he had taken for granted.

And that's when he started to think about the kids. Innocent children, blind to the real terrors of the world until last year. Snatched within a second.

There was a knock at the door. O well, whoever it was can go to hell. He didn't care. He kept staring at the first photo of the album. She was obviously younger, she had lighter hair, and freckles dotted her nose and cheeks. But that smile…it hadn't changed.

And neither had the knocking. Zack got up, throwing it open and screaming "GET THE FUCKING HINT! GO AWAY!" And looked down to a distraught Arieth shaking like a leaf and bursting into tears. Immediately he regretted it. She had heard about Cloud.

He put his and around her and they just sat there and grieved together.

The house was big. And airy. Normally Tifa would've been thrilled to have moved to a place like this. But not now.

He was dead. Because of her. Because of her being careless. Normally she would have kept precautions, made sure everything was secret.

It was like her mother all over again. Lucy had died of Natural Causes but she had always had this feeling that her antics had driven her to it. The drinking, the going missing every two months or so…she didn't have it with any other of the kids. Dana was now a chef in a foreign country, Kimberly was married with two kids of her own and John was….well, let's say successful.

Marlene and Denzel were playing outside, trying to make the best of things. The garden was more like a field, a wide open space.

The house was built into a side of a mountain overlooking the town centre of Kalm. Not stupidly high up, about 30 meters if that, but it was on the outskirts of the city. The kids each had their own rooms, not bundled into a box like before.

And there was an extra room going spare next to Clouds. She knew that eventually it would have to turn into a nursery, but she couldn't bear to even think about the child she carried now. Four tests. All positive. How the fuck it had managed to happen in such a small amount of time she couldn't fathom, but it had happened. She had to accept it.

She was once again going to be a single mom.

Her chest tightened so much she had to clutch her chest and gasp for Cloud to come help her. Single….the word itself was foreign to her now…it was all going to be perfect, now it was ruined.

Cloud passed her a glass of water and the coldness of it was a shock to the system. But a nice one. She took one long breath and went to the kitchen. It was all stainless steel, apart from the black marble worktops, all state of the art. Angeal had gone all out on this house.

"This is wrong." Tifa sighed, curling her fingers on the handle of one of the drawers.

"Well I'm sure Angeal can sort something out. Maybe some sticky back lino or something…" Tifa swiveled to face him, not surprised to see a grin cover half of his face. But she was in no mood.

"Cloud! That's not what I meant." Cloud sighed and went over to her, pulling her in and holding her as tight as he could without hurting her.

"Cloud…I…I don't know what to do now. I don't know how to contact his family, I don't know who to call….oh god Cloud I can't even bury him!"

Cloud couldn't do this. It hurt way too much to see his best friend like this. He wanted to tell her the truth so badly. But he knew he couldn't.

"It's ok. It's all gonna get better. I promise." There was a knock at the door. So far only Angeal had come over a few times to make sure they were settled, so it could only be one other person. Letting go of Tifa and making sure she was comfortable, he went to the door and opened it just enough to see the guest.

And Familiar green eyes blinked back a few more tears. He went outside and closed the door slowly. Arieth Collapsed into his embrace.

"Did you see him?" she pulled back and gave a solemn nod.

"He's a wreck Cloud. I've never seen such a broken man. I didn't know what to do. So I did as you said and came straight here. He's devastated." She paused, looking at the floor and playing with the hem of her Blue Dress. "How's Tifa?"

Cloud shrugged. "Same as him I guess. This is too much. I…I Don't know what to do." Arieth put a hand on his shoulder. "Just be there. Like Angeal said, She'll get better in time…I know it's not my place Cloud but is it true that Tifa…"

Cloud nodded before she could say anything. "Yeah, guess Angeal told you."

"Is she going to keep it?"

"I'm assuming so yes."

Arieth gave a tiny smile. "I suppose that's the one thing she has left of him." Cloud frowned. "Maybe that's more of a curse than a blessing."

"We'll see how she goes. I'll keep an eye on Zack for you." Cloud smiled and kissed her on the cheek. "My little spy. Thank you."


	9. One Day More

**Two years later**

"Marlene for the love of god clean this up right now!" Cloud rolled his eyes as he turned off the engine of his bike after the latest delivery. The business in Kalm was a hell of a lot better than it was in Midgar. The past year his profits had soared, and everything was pretty much perfect.

He opened the door and Marlene had given in to her mother's order and was tidying away the toys that were scattered on the play mat that covered most of the living room floor. In the middle of the play mat sat a 2 year old little girl in a denim dungaree dress and white t shirt, and little white frilly socks, with curly brown hair and green eyes. She started cooing again when she saw Cloud bend down in front of her.

"Hey gorgeous, how you doing? Huh? Where's mommy?" Ugh he never thought he'd ever, EVER use baby talk. Yet here he was. He was probably making embarrassing faces too.

"You're pulling weird faces again." He grimaced. Leave it to Marlene to confirm this.

He pried his finger out of Melody's' hand (she had a grip like a fucking vice), made sure she was safe before going in the kitchen and finding Tifa heating up a bottle. "Oh your back! How was Wutai?"

"Its Wutai nuff said. Areith wants to come for dinner with Angeal is that ok?"

Tifa nodded and dripped some milk onto her wrist. She wiped it off then put the bottle down. Cloud knew she was upset. She had that look on her face.

"You know what today is right?" Tifa looked at him and he nodded.

"Two years. Two years since he passed. The kids have made a small flowerbed outside for him. It's sweet really." Her eyes welled up. She snatched the bottle up and shoved past him. "Melody needs her feed."

Cloud sighed. She wasn't over him. She never would be really. But she was getting better each year. Last year she was an emotional wreck now this time she just seemed in utter denial.

Angeal had become a family friend now; he helped Tifa with whatever she needed. Melody loved "Uncy Angel" and always toddled up to him when he came through the door.

He always made sure to tell her stories of Zack, but then he would look up at Cloud and remind him that it was all a big Façade. It wasn't fair on the kid it really wasn't. Her father was alive and well and only Cloud knew it.

Angeal had said about a trip to Midgar the last time he was here. Cloud was horrified at the idea, and apparently showed it because Tifa started asking awkward questions, so awkward that Cloud had to actually reach into his pocket and pretend that someone was calling him so he could leave.

But Tifa hadn't stopped thinking about it. She was actually considering it. It was Nuts; the chances of Tifa bumping into Zack were through the roof. And then Tifa would know Cloud was a liar and probably beat the living snot out of him. And he liked his face.

But then again maybe this would be a good thing. He couldn't keep this up much more. Zack hadn't really moved on either from what Arieth told him. He'd buried himself into his work, and whenever she saw him he was either exhausted by how hard he was working, or packing to go on another lengthy mission to some unknown corner of the globe.

"Cloud what do you think?" Oops. Turns out Tifa had been talking. Think Cloud think. What could she had possibly said?

"Huh? Yeah cool." Tifas growing grin was a tad worrying.

"Wonderful! I'll get the kids to pack an overnight bag! Well leave for Midgar tomorrow morning!" Clouds stomach dropped right down to his boots. Oh crap, oh crap.

"M-Midgar?! You sure that's a good idea?" once he managed to make his voice stop squeaking, he composed himself. He couldn't believe this. It was ridiculous.

"I think so. Its closure if anything. And it'll do Melody some good to see how we lived before. Come on Cloud it will do us good."

"Tifa, the bounty is still on our heads, Shinras gonna be looking for us….Tifa we cant!" Tifa furrowed her brow.

"Ok you know Angeal sorted out the bounty. So I don't see a problem. And I'm Melody's mother and I say we are going! So pack your fucking bag and make sure you remember deodorant this time!" Cloud knew better than to argue with Tifa when she used that tone. But he did know what he could do.

He bolted upstairs to his room and dug his phone from the depths of his pockets. He fumbled with the buttons, and after a couple of rings Arieth answered.

"Arieth I know for the past two years I've taken the piss with these little favors of mine but I swear to god if you do this one for me I will walk to the ends of the earth to do anything, even get you a solid gold flower wagon if you want!"

"Cloud….what do you need?" Cloud blushed a little bit. She never thought he was taking the piss, he knew that perfectly well.

"Cloud?"

"Tifa…..Tifa wants to come to Midgar tomorrow for a couple of days."

"She what?! Cloud are you insane? She can't … Zack is barely over it and if he sees her oh my god hell will break loose!"

"Don't you think I know that?! Listen you need to keep Zack or home, or at least occupied for a few days."

"Cloud you had to time this the week he actually takes time of work didn't you? He's at home for the next two weeks!" Cloud bit back a moan. Again, just his fucking luck!

"Fine but make sure your up his ass as much as possible watching his every move ok?"

"I'll do my best. Keep in touch."

He finished the call because Tifa had knocked on the door. "Cloud? Angeal just called. He said the hotel has an opening tonight instead of tomorrow so I said we'd leave in a couple of hours ok?" Cloud's soul died a little bit more.

And sure enough two hours later he was putting Melody in her car seat, pulling his hair out her hands and making sure she stopped squirming for five seconds so he could buckle up her belt.

"I'm gonna fucking regret this."


	10. i'll go wherever you will go

Zack however was in a very different mood. Lying back on his sofa with his hands behind his head, he kicked off his boots and took a deep breath of freedom in. Two weeks Shinra free.

Ok yes he had normally offered to do the extra work but it was still nice to be away from it all.

Besides today was not a normal day. Today was the Second Anniversary of the death of Tifa Cloud and the kids. And to be honest he just wanted to spend it alone.

No fuss, no more crying, just peace and maybe some ice cream. Yeah, ice cream was a good idea. He immediately frowned.

He sounded like the sad frumps his mother Nadine watched in romantic comedies that she would find in the reduced bin.

But still, ice cream was good.

A year ago he would've started blubbing and crying "Tifa ate ice cream!" and don't get him wrong he still felt that way but he thought there was no way Tifa would tolerate him crumpled on the floor in a blubbing heap like Prince John from Disney's Robin Hood.

So he had lived the way she had wanted him to. Pretty much the fucking same. Binx had abandoned him as most cats did when they hit a certain age so instead he had gotten a Rottweiler called Woody, who was supposed to be Rufus Shinras' personal guard dog.

But the only problem was the only defense he had was licking someone to death.

He was the biggest wimp Zack had ever met in his life. So Rufus disowned him and Zack took him home and they were pretty much good friends.

He felt a warm liquid on his elbow and knew he'd spaced out. Woody had this thing where if you weren't paying attention he would lick you right on the elbow. It was gross but he knew it was foolproof every time.

Ruffling the fur between his ears he smiled at the goofy dog. Looking out the window he knew he wouldn't see sunlight because of the plates above him but from the little cracks let through the gaps made him realize it was a beautiful day.

Grabbing Woodys' leash and pinning the beast down so he could clip the leash on and winding it around his hand a couple of times he frowned at the frays the mutt had caused by pulling on it so much. He'd get a new one while he was in town.

Making sure the door was locked whilst wrestling with Woody like a children's game of tug of friggin war, he made his way to the shopping district, glad that most of the stores opened till very late. Of course all the people they saw gushed over Woody and to be frank he was fine with it.

Not to toot his own horn or anything but over the past two years there had been a surprising amount of demand for a 1st class soldier and a widower.

He frowned. Could he even call himself that? They weren't married or anything, but on the other hand it made him feel just that bit closer to her so he decided that no one would bite his head off for it as long as he didn't use it officially.

He looked up. He was right, just the slightest hint of sunlight came through and he smiled. Ok sure it sucked being stuck under a massive hunk of metal but on the plus side when it rained they barely felt it.

He looked at Woody who was sitting down with a goofy look on his face at his pet. Zack knew Woody didn't consider him master and that he'd convinced himself it was the other way round, and they had a pretty good arrangement for the time being.

"Hey what d'you say to seeing Arieth down at the church?"

He knew he wouldn't get an answer so he assumed the noise that came out of his butt was a yes and pulled a tiny bit on the lead to let him know they were moving, trying to remember the way that wasn't going straight down through the roof.

They were about halfway there when a Childs laughter caught Zacks ears and the first thing he did was look at Woody.

Woody was a sucker for children and he had this really bad habit that Zack was trying to teach out of him, of running up to kids and jumping on them. And by the sound of it the kid was pretty small which would make it worse.

But Woody wasn't there.

Zack should've noticed when his load got exceedingly lighter, and stared in horror at the foot of snapped leash he held between his fingers. Out of the corner of his eye he noticed the dog running towards the local inn.

"Woody get back here right now!" even with his training keeping up with a dog that had a goal to keep was hard. He was panting and his heart absolutely sank when he heard the kid squeal in fright. He ran to see Woody being held back by someone's boot whilst the kid was held aloft.

A very familiar boot. Zack had to stop. He knew he had to go get woody but he had to make sure he was seeing right.

It was Cloud.

"No fucking way. No. no way." He took a few steps closer and Woody finally noticed him, and came over. Huffing when Zack ignored him. He could only see the back of the man and where it was dark the streetlights were crap at making details visible. But he knew that haircut anywhere.

He didn't know whether to start believing in ghosts or what but something was very much wrong here. He looked at the car the man was standing by. It looked hauntingly like Angeals old car, the one he said got stolen.

This was insane. There was only one way to find out.

"CLOUD!" he shouted at the man and he turned or a split second. It was definitely him. Holy Gaia it was actually him. 'Cloud' spun for a second looked at him with absolute horror and ran inside the inn with the child, slamming the door. Zack had no choice. He had to know.

Grabbing Woody's collar he got the foot of leash and managed to tie it around a lamppost and after giving the dog one last glare and ran inside the inn, straight to the desk.

"Good evening sir can we help you?"

"Yes! I need to know who that guy was. The blonde one with the kid!"

The girl behind the desk nodded and looked at the register.

"I shouldn't really tell you this but his name is Scott Marsden, and he's here with his sister Jennifer and a child Melody. Does that help?"

Zack sighed. Maybe it wasn't him. But why did he run? But then again thinking about it if a guy whose dog had just jumped your kid screamed at him he would be a bit freaked out. So maybe he was wrong.

"Ok thanks." His good mood was gone. He had thought for a second….but then again that would've meant Angeal had lied to him, and what reason did he have for that?

He turned to go and just as his hand gripped the doorknob, as if by magic he heard a scream of terror behind him. He whirled round, wondering what the fuck had just happened.

And saw his Tifa standing there one hand on the banister and another over her mouth. A look on her face…as if she'd just seen a ghost.

It took him all of two seconds to figure out what had happened.


	11. It's all coming back

Tifa was numb all over. She had only gone downstairs to see if they had a microwave that she could use, and instead she was shaken out of her wits.

He was alive. He was here.

She straightened, and didn't stop looking at him incase this was a dream and if she blinked he would be gone. This was impossible. Maybe she was tired from the car ride. Then it all started piecing together. This is why Cloud was so adamant not to come here.

This is why Angeal was so shifty that night. It all made sense. Why had she never bothered to think about this? Well she supposed it was out a grief.

Neither of them had moved in the past two minutes. She turned to find a slightly agitated woman behind her wanting to get down the stairs so she very slowly walked down them, not taking her eyes off him.

He had the exact look on his face that she did. He knew nothing about the deception, the lies they had both been told. He wasn't to blame for this. She walked forwards. There were the slight hint of tears in his eyes. She didn't want him to cry, namely because it would start her off.

Her hand trembling uncontrollably she put a hand to his cheek. He was real. He was warm. Alive. He was here. He closed his eyes and put both his hands on hers. This was surreal. Impossible. Yet here they were.

She couldn't help herself. She flung her arms around him and started sobbing. He was here. It was like a miracle. She felt his arms go around her, a luxury they had both been denied for two years. And for what reason? A sick joke? Maybe a Shinra plot…

She pulled away and looked up at him. He smiled and put her hair behind her ear, as if they had never been apart like this was a normal day. She couldn't help but laugh. She knew it was very inappropriate in this situation but she really couldn't help it.

He started laughing too. Neither of them had no idea what they were laughing about, maybe it was at the fact that this was actually happening.

"Zack i…"

"Tifa its fine…"

"But I thought…"

"Don't worry so did i.."

"OH MY GOD ZACK!" he turned to see Marlene pelt down the stairs and torpedo into his stomach.

He picked the little girl up and hugged her tight. If Barrett knew about this he really would be dead but he didn't care. This was all happening so fast. They were all alive.

He put Marlene down and looked up at where she had come from. Cloud was standing there with the little girl from earlier. She was tiny. And crying. Cloud came down with her and the little girl held her hands out to Tifa.

"Mom!" Zack had to do a double take. He watched in disbelief as Tifa took the little girl and held her close, shushing and soothing her.

But then again it could just be another situation like Marlene and Denzel where the kid wasn't hers but called her mom anyway.

He looked at Cloud, who looked guilty as sin.

"Was this elaborate charade your idea?" Cloud shot a glare at him. "No actually it was your buddy Angeals. And we did it in the interest of your safety as well as Tifa."

"What so ruining our lives was supposed to keep us safe?" Cloud knew this would happen. But he did feel like a weight was lifted off of his shoulders.

Tifa turned so she was in the middle of both of them.

"Zack he's right. They did have our best interests at heart. Shinra would've probably killed us by now if we did go on the run."

Zack frowned but backed off. She was right and so was Cloud but this would take a lot of time to get his head around and forgive Angeal as well as Cloud.

Angeal would be getting an ear bashing from him as well. But to be honest he didn't really care about all that had happened because now Tifa was alive so was Cloud and the kids and nothing was going to pop this happy bubble of his.

He looked at the child whose head was rested against Tifas' shoulder, really took a good look at her. He did the math.

"Tifa what's my daughter's name?" Tifa smiled. That was a lot easier then she thought it would be. She turned around to make sure Melody was looking at him.

Zack smiled as she went all shy and burrowed her head into Tifas shoulder.

"Zack, this is Melody. Melody, this is dada."

"Melody…can I call her Mel?" Tifa laughed and so did Cloud.

"Tifa has this weird nickname for her and calls her Mel-mel already so go for it." Cloud was really smiling now.

"Oh god Teef scarring our kid already. Poor kid hasn't had her dad there to save her form your gooeyness." Everyone was laughing now. Tifa looked at him

"Do you wanna hold her?"

"Of course I do. She's my flesh and blood" He took Melody, balancing her on his hip and stroking her head he grinned and looked at Tifa. "She is mine right? There's not been any other guy?"

Tifas face dropped. "Zack I was crying over you every day I hardly had the tme or appeal to meet other guys!" The grin creeping on his face made her huff and slap his shoulder.

Cloud couldn't believe how this was turning out. He was expecting slinging matches, more crying, tension and blame.

Mostly aimed at him. Ok the relationship between him and Zack would be raw and tender for a while but Tifa knew why he had to do it.

It was amazing how two years of hurt had dissipated in five minutes. He had no idea what he was worried about. Well he did but it hadn't happened so he was quite happy.

Zack was chatting away with Melody, even though Melody was only babbling back.

He turned to Tifa. "So where have you guys been all this time?"

"Kalm. Angeal had a safe house built for us there. Zack it's beautiful. There's plenty of room for everyone. Come back with us tomorrow. Please."

Zack grimaced. "Teef I can't. I have Shinra, now I have Woody, it'll take ages to sell the apartment…"

Denzel tugged on his sweater. "Who's Woody?" Zack used his free hand to slap his forehead. Handing Melody back to Tifa he went outside and came back a couple of seconds later, dragging the brute by the collar.

Marlene squealed at the sight of the dog and flung her arms around his neck, rubbing his ears and rubbing his belly. The big softie relished in the attention and Tifa laughed at the sight of it.

"She's always wanted a puppy." Zack grinned. "Good I need someone to keep him occupied."

Cloud sighed. "Well we can't just up and leave from Kalm Teef the kids are in school, our doctors and dentists and crap are there, plus we have nothing left here you saw what happened to the bar Zack."

Zack frowned and crossed his arms. "Well you said Angeal Sorted the Kalm house out for you right?"

Tifa nodded and Zack rubbed her arm, giving Melody his finger to hold. "Then leave it with me. Give me about two days."

Cloud knew better then to argue with him. He looked at Tifa. "I better go find Arieth and tell her that she doesn't have to lie anymore."

"You made Arieth lie too? Jesus Cloud how many people were in this?" Cloud winked at him, gave him a quick I'm-still-manly-we're-not-mentioning-this-again hug and left, Denzel going with him.

Marlene was still preoccupied with Woody but Tifa cleared it with the owner to take him up to their room.

She put Melody on the floor and got out a few toys for her to play with. She sat on the bed and Zack joined her.

He still couldn't believe this. Someone up there must've loved him that day. Tifa was pretending to be amazed at something Melody was showing her and he took her hand, making her turn to him.

He couldn't hold it in any longer. He kissed her with every cell and strength in his body. He had gone two long years without her and he made a silent vow to never lose her again.

She returned the kiss with matching force and pulled away once Marlene started making grossed out noises. She rested her forehead on his, their hands clasped tight.

"I'm gonna start crying again."

"…don't embarrass me in front of the kid." Tifa smiled, he always knew how to make her laugh.

"So…_Jennifer…"_

"Angeals idea not mine."

"So I'm not allowed…"

"Not ever." She grinned a little and kissed him on the cheek.

"You really think Angeal can get us a place here at such short notice?"

Zack smiled and crossed his arms. "By the time I'm done with him he'll be giving me whatever I want."

And sure enough a week later they were moving their stuff from a van to a townhouse with exactly the same layout as the house in Kalm.

Cloud had decided to move in with Arieth as they were getting more serious. And Zack sold his apartment to a loved up young couple for as chusty little price. Everything was falling into place.

Zack felt happy again.


	12. There are no happy endings

Zack and Tifa had just dropped the kids off at the first day of school and were walking to the church to meet Arieth, Zack pushing an over-excited Melody in her pushchair. Zack and Melody had really bonded over the past couple of weeks, and Melody was young enough to know that this man was daddy and not remember the fact he wasn't there.

"Are you sure you want to take the day off just to take Melody to the church? We can do it on Saturday or something as well..."

Zack scoffed. "No way, it'll be the first time she ever sees Arieth's special flowers and I wanna be there. I missed her first word and the minute she walked, I'm not missing anymore, now will you quit worrying so much?"

Tifa grinned. "I'm sorry. I guess this is just still a bit weird to me."

Zack was about to tease her even more when a shaking under their feet made him stop and tighten his grip on the pushchair handles.

Tifa stumbled backwards and Zack lunged and caught her arm to stop her falling. The shaking stopped after about twenty seconds and Tifa looked at Zack in horror.

"What the hell was that?" Zack shook his head and ran to the front of the buggy to calm Melody down. "I have no idea. Probably just nothing Tifa, everyone has slight earthquakes sometimes."

"I don't even remember having one in Nibelhiem let alone here, Zack. That was very out of the norm." And as if by magic her phone rang. It was Yuffie.

"OH MY GOD did you just feel that? Sounded like it came from the sky!" Tifa looked at Zack confused. He mouthed the words "the sky?"

"Yuffie what do you mean the sky? It was an earthquake, normally they don't come from the sky."

"Teef that wasn't an earthquake. I'm not that daft yet. There was an explosion, sounded like it came from above the plates! From the Shinra building!"

Tifa was more alert now. Zack's phone had rung at the same time and he was slightly agitated to whoever he was talking to. She hung up on Yuffie's chirping, and Zack turned to her. He didn't even have to say anything.

"Go, I'll take Melody to Elmyra. No doubt Avalanche will be meeting as well." She put her arms around him and he gave her a quick kiss. "Be safe."

He grinned as he started running in the opposite direction. Melody held her arms out and cried "Dad!" He blew her a kiss and carried on until he was out of sight. Tifa pushed the buggy like a gladiator chariot towards sector four where Arieths foster mother lived. She knocked on the door and the hardy old woman opened it and held her arms out. Tifa grinned and handed Melody to her, Melody cooing at another person who spoilt her.

"Bottle's in the bag, be a couple hours she needs a nap bye!" Tifa ran towards Yuffie's house which became the new Avalanche headquarters.

Kat had left the door open for her so she skidded inside.

"Ok what the hell happened? Was that one of ours?" Barrett shook his head. "Nope, unless we have more members then I thought we did."

Yuffie was bent over the table watching a tablet with the news cast on it. "It's all over every network already. Everyone with a different story of what's happened."

"Yeah but what the hell has happened?" Tifa looked at every face.

Barrett shrugged his massive shoulders. "Well, has Zack been called in yet?"

Tifa nodded. "They sounded pretty urgent."

Cloud stopped at the door before he fell through it. "They've closed sectors five six and eight off. They're not releasing any information."

"This is big. Either we have rivals or someone in Shinra has gone rogue again. We might be looking at Sephiroth number two." Yuffie crossed her arms and shifted her weight to the other foot.

Tifa watched as Cloud went pale. He still hated remembering what happened with Sephiroth that horrible day in Nibelhiem. She put a hand on his shoulder and squeezed it gently.

"Well let's hope it's not that." Kat poked her head through the door and motioned to Yuffie.

"Yuffie there's a woman called Elena on the phone." Everyone in the room looked at Yuffie.

"How the fuck did she get our number?! Gimme that phone!" Yuffie snatched it out of her mother's hands, and Barrett snatched it out of Yuffie's in turn, and the two started pulling the phone between them.

Cloud looked at Tifa and she knew what he was asking her to do. She launched herself between gun arm and ninja kicks and tore the phone out of their hands, rolling to a crouch on the floor and putting it to her ear.

"What the hell do you want and how did you find us?" There was a pause.

"So you're alive then? Zack was telling the truth?"

"Don't bring him into this just tell me what the hell you want!" Tifa's teeth had started grinding against each other. She turned around and everyone was looking at her. She put the phone on the table, glared at both Yuffie and Barrett and hit the loudspeaker.

"Tifa…I trust you've all heard about what just happened?"

Barrett cleared his throat. "Well we heard the boom and felt the shakin' but not much else is to our knowledge."

"There's rumours going around that it was an explosion." Cid stuffed his trademark toothpick back into his mouth and crossed his arms.

Even in the tense situation Tifa couldn't help but wonder how many of those he had managed to swallow throughout the years.

"That's correct. There was a detonation in our building to the east side…we were wondering if you had anything to do with it."

Barrett let out his deep laugh. "Ha! If we had anything to do with it you really think we would be sitting in some little girl's house and that you'd be able to just pick up a goddamn phone and call our sorry asses?! God I thought we had more reputation with you guys then that!"

"….yes well, that's obviously the case. Do you have any idea whatsoever of how they were then?" There was a five second pause. Then every Avalanche member burst into roaring laughter. Even Cloud.

"YOU THINK IF WE KNEW WE WOULD TELL YOU FUCKERS?!" Barrett wheezed and banged his hand on the table making it rock.

"Please Mister Wallace…"

The laughter got louder. Tifa stopped. "Elena is Zack with you?"

"…..I'll put him on." Cloud smiled at her as she got a little bit excited. They waited a few seconds and the laughter died down.

"Yeah, what?" Zack's bark made Tifa step back. He sounded so stressed and irritable, it was alien to her.

"Well if you don't want to talk to me fine!"

"Tifa?! Oh babe I'm so sorry it's just so manic here with everything that's gone on… what have guys found out?" Tifa looked away from the phone and sighed, stomping into the kitchen.

"Hello? You guys still there?" Yuffie leant over the phone.

"No nothing yet, we literally know the same as you and what Elena just told us. Tifa's just gone into the kitchen…you've upset her. Sorry dude. She's pissed."

Zack's sigh distorted through the speaker. "Oh for fuck's sake. Don't worry I'll sort her out later. Listen I was wondering if you guys would possibly come here? You know explosions better than all of us…"

"Come over there and get killed on the spot? No way Spikey." Cloud glared at Barrett for reusing the nickname he so loathed.

"No guys seriously I won't let any harm come to you. Angeal and I have always been on your side, you know that, and we've got you a special onetime clearance. And then afterwards if we successfully find out who this is…..a full pardon."

They all stopped to look at each other. Arieth grabbed Cloud's arm and leant against it, Yuffie dropped onto the floor and looked at everybody. Cid shrugged and looked at Barrett, letting the leader decide.

"And you're sure you're not fucking around with us?" Barrett asked as Tifa came back in, wiping her face. Yuffie hugged her and whispered to her what Zack had just told them. Tifa looked at Barrett and he puffed out his chest.

"…a full pardon?"

"Yes. Completely and fully pardoned. We would never bother you again…so long as you don't blow us up again. Fair trade I think."

Barrett looked at everyone in turn. "…we accept your offer and we're on our way." He turned off the call and sighed in contentment.

Tifa looked down. "I'm not going I can't see him right now after that. I need to go get Melody."

"Tifa he only snapped at you he said he was sorry."

"That's not the point."

"Please?" Yuffie hugged her even more. Tifa rolled her eyes. "Ugh fine I'll come."

Cloud laughed. "I never thought I'd say this but let's go to Shinra. Through the front doors this time."

"Without guns pointing at us." Cid chuckled.

"Ha there's bound to be at least one pointing at Barrett by the time we're done." Yuffie was already bouncing out the door.

"Enough already lets go find out who the bad guy is!"

Tifa put her hands on her hips. "Well if it's not us I'd sure as hell like to know who it is. And we're about to find out by the looks of it."

By the time they got there, Elena, Zack, Angeal, Rufus and Rude stood waiting for them.

The two groups stood across the room from each other to start with. Just watching the other to see if they were about to spring a trap. When Tifa could tell they were safe, Avalanche started moving towards Shinra. Zack grinned at Tifa and she smiled back.

Rufus broke the line and came forward to greet Barrett. "Don't think of this as some sort of truce. Think of this as a convenient alliance." Barrett huffed and took the hand that Rufus offered, all but crushing it with his bulky hand.

"This isn't really convenient for us but what the hell. If someone stealing our thunder we'd like to know who they are." Behind them Zack had gone to Tifa and hugged her tight, apologising as much as he could.

"I'm sorry I snapped. I didn't know it was you." Tifa put a hand on his cheek.

"It's ok. I was just surprised is all."

"Where's Melody?" Tifa smiled. "With Elmyra. Don't worry she's fine."

"Good. I'd hate for her to get in the middle of this."

They joined the others and the two groups looked at each other. "So what exactly happened?"

Angeal shrugged. "Well everything was normal then suddenly there was an explosion, completely out of nowhere."

"What was destroyed?" Zack put his arm around Tifa as she said it and pulled her close.

"Not much really. Nothing important. Which makes us think…"

"That it was a warning blast." Barrett interrupted Elena and started pacing the floor.

Yuffie had started looking around like she was looking for something; she'd been doing it for the past few minutes and it was starting to get on Cloud's nerves.

"Yuffie what the hell are you doing?" she whirled around to face him, a really concerned look on her face. "How many people are in this building?"

Rufus cocked an eyebrow. "About seven thousand I don't know I've never counted . Why?"

Zack didn't like the way Yuffie had gone pale. Then he heard it. A distant noise, hardly heard unless you knew what you were listening for….a distant beeping.

Like a countdown.

He spun on his heel to face Rufus. "YOU NEED TO GET EVERYONE OUT NOW!"

The people around them had started to panic and scramble for the doors. Barrett had started barking orders at the others and they all ran off the help with the evacuation. Zack was swamped in a sea of people and he flailed, looking for where Tifa had went. He saw her shouting at him, her hand reaching out.

He almost had it.

Then a deafening boom sounded around them and it seemed like time slowed right down as his ears popped and all he could hear were muffled screams. His vision focused around the white light that had enveloped the room, which was slowly turning into the orange and red of a massive fireball. He searched frantically for any sign of Tifa as he was blown backwards by the force of the blast.

It was like his ears were fine tuning because one scream stood out from the rest. He looked for it and saw Tifa flung forwards, hitting her head on a hunk of debris that flew past her. He cried out, not knowing what he said because he couldn't hear it, she fell onto the floor and was covered in bits of flying desk and rubble.

Then he himself hit the wall and his ears cleared, the screams and explosion becoming louder as his world faded into darkness.


	13. Mea Culpa

"Zack?! Zack wake up man! Come on!" He could feel his body being thrown about. He opened his eyes slowly to prepare himself for what he was going to see. He opened his mouth to speak and immediately choked on the rubble dust and soot that flew into his lungs.

He started to focus his vision to see who it was that was in front of him. Red. Red and goggles.

"Reno?" He squinted to see him better, and slowly pulled himself up, Reno supporting him. His head was spinning. He clutched it with his free hand and then suddenly remembered what happened.

"Tifa? Where is she?" Reno shrugged. Zack noticed he had cuts and bruises all over him, and looking down at his own arms, noticed bits of flying building must've hit him a few times, and they were both bloody and bruised.

"Dude you can hardly see in this dust. I wouldn't know it was her even if I found her. We need to get people out Zack it's our duty. Tifas a big girl she can look after herself."

Zack glared at him. "Reno I thought I lost her once and it ruined my life. I'm not about to risk that again. You get these people out I'll find Tifa and the others." Reno went to protest but Zack raised his hand the best he could, and rubbing the blood from his lip, he carried on.

"That's an order." Reno clenched his fists because he knew in any normal situation the Turks had more authority then Solider, but sighed and ran towards a group of people shouting.

The whole place was dark where the power had obviously gone, there were wires and cables hanging loose from above, the only light the occasional blue spark from them. Everything was destroyed, and when it wasn't obliterated everything was piled up everywhere.

"help…..please….anyone?" He turned.

"YUFFIE! Hold on I'm coming!" he could only just see her hand poking out from the rubble, waving frantically so someone would see it. Zack heaved a few of the bigger bits of rubble that were encasing her, and soon he could see her, curled in a ball on the floor.

HE held a hand out through the hole he had made and whistled. "Yuffie up here, can you get up?" Yuffie turned her head at the sound of his voice and painfully rolled over. Zack saw a piece of metal sticking out of her side.

"Oh god…don't worry Yuffie we'll get you sorted out ok but you have to grit your teeth and take my hand otherwise we're not gonna get you out in time."

She nodded and holding the wound she heaved herself onto her knees, her face scrunched in pain. She felt for Zacks hand and when she got it Zack gripped tight, shaking all over.

"Ok ready? On three…one….two…THREE!"

She let out an ear ripping scream and he pulled her through and she landed on his lap. She threw her arms around his neck and he in turn hugged her back.

"It's ok…don't worry you're gonna be ok."

He realized then just how young Yuffie was compared to the rest of them. She was only what, six years older than Denzel. She liked to act the tough guy all the time but all Zack could see now was a scared little girl grateful to be alive.

He softly picked her up and shouted for a medic, or someone who knew what they were doing well enough to get her out and to care. Thankfully Shinras medical team were right down below them so they weren't affected by the blast, so could come quickly to help. Yuffie was wheeled away on a gurney and Zack didn't move until he knew she was safe.

"ZACK! You're okay!" Arieth was limping towards him, a roughed up Cloud leaning on her shoulder. Zack ran over to them and threw him arms around the both of them at the same time.

"Thank fuck you guys are okay! Arieth, why are you limping?"

"The medic said I just had a hematoma in my leg where I hit a table as I landed, it should heal in time. Cloud was lucky he just got a broken arm." Cloud grunted.

"Yeah lucky."

Zack shook his head. "Man, you want to see what happened to Yuffie then you'd consider yourself lucky. Any others of Avalanche accounted for?"

"Barrett barely got a scratch because he's so fuckin big so he's helping get everyone else out. It's just Cid and Tifa left."

Zack grew panicky. "They still haven't found her?" Cloud shook his head.

"Zack she was standing right next to you how the hell can you not know where she is?!"

Zack was in full blown hysteria mode. "I don't know, look I'll go back to where Reno found me and see where she landed…Cloud I'm sorry!"

"Be sorry when we find her!" he turned to Arieth. "You go on ahead I can't leave him."

Arieth protested profusely, but Cloud had such a look in his eyes she backed off slowly. "You two be careful ok I want you both safe! Find them!"

The two men looked at each other. Zack moved his gaze down to the arm hanging lamely by Clouds side. "You gonna be ok with that arm?"

Cloud scowled. "Don't worry about me let's just focus on Cid and Tifa." Zack nodded and the two men made their way to where Reno found Zack. They stood in the spot for a few seconds when Cloud looked at Zack with a confused look on his face.

"Can you feel a draft?" Zack had to admit he could, and then he noticed the slither of light coming from about 200 yards away to his right.

They both thought the same thing. Then Zacks chest plummeted into his stomach.

"Cloud…." Cloud knew exactly what he was going to say.

"Zack don't panic, she's probably fine. Let's go over there and I bet she'll be sitting there like nothing's happened, not wanting to be made a fuss of. Ok?"Zack slowly nodded, his whole body shaking, the most horrible thoughts running through his head.

They followed the light to the wall and noticed that various bits of debris had piled there so naturally they used the three good arms they had and pulled it all away.

But stopped dead when they saw what was on the other side.

There was a gaping hole in the wall, and the cause of it was a 15ft 1500lb bronze statue of a lion that Rufus's father had put in the lobby of Shinra years ago, back then they had all made fun of it. And now Cloud hated the thing even more.

Outside the wall was the sector four plate, which because of the blast and the statue which was teetering on the edge, was leaning down. Down towards Midgar. Which was about a 1000 foot drop.

But what made him want to scream like a little girl even more was the fact that amongst the rubble that scattered around the plate, lying very and heart stoppingly close to the edge was an unconscious Tifa.

He could hardly see her face behind the blood and her hair but Zack knew it was her.

"Oh god Cloud what do we do? If we put any weight on that thing she's gonna go over the edge!" Zack was about to have a nervous breakdown so Cloud used his good arm and put a hand on his shoulder, thinking fast.

"Ok the plate should hold if you slowly go out there and get her."

"Are you fucking nuts?! That'll kill us both if it goes wrong! Not to mention thousands of people down below!"

"Well what the hell do you suggest?" Zack didn't know how to respond to that. Obviously his instinct was to go get her but that would put her in more danger.

But on the other hand he had to do something. It was the mother of his child out there, the woman he wanted desperately to marry and grow old with. He turned to Cloud.

"Where's that stick thing Arieth uses in battle?"

"The staff you mean? Well she keeps it in her boot normally why?"

"Go get it. It'll give me something to hold onto and you can yank us back in." Cloud stared at him for a while just to make sure he was being serious. He called out to Arieth who was helping heal people, and she came running over along with Barrett.

She let out a gasp when she saw where Tifa was and Barrett went to go straight out there. Cloud and Zack held him back whilst trying to explain to him that Zack was better to do it. The poor man kept bellowing that something needed to be done.

Cloud got the staff from Arieth, Extended it and gave the other end to Zack. Who was still shaking beyond belief. He had to do this exactly right or they were both dead and his little girl would be an orphan.

He looked at them all and tentatively put on foot onto the plate. It made a slight creak but apart from that so far so good. Another step. Then another, then another. He was almost there.

He crouched down next to where Tifa was, thinking of the best and fastest way to do this.

He let go of the staff. Ignoring the shouts from Cloud, and tucked his arm under her legs and the other under her neck. At the slowest pace he could he gently lifted her up. She didn't even stir. This worried him even more. He looked back at the others. He took one step.

The plate creaked even more but he did his best to ignore it.

Then the plate collapsed. Not entirely but enough to make Zack lose his footing go backwards and end up hanging on for dear life to Tifa whilst at the same time gripping as hard as he could to the Staff. He heard Cloud shouting but over the rush of the wind he had no clue what he was saying. He felt friction and looked up to see they were being pulled back in.

As soon as they were back in the building they let out the breaths they had been holding. He had a hug from Arieth but soon gently took her off him to check on Tifa, who Cloud had laid down on her back.

There was no horrific damage that the doctors couldn't most likely fix and he was grateful for that. But it still worried him that she hadn't woken up yet.

He handed her over to the medics and decided he wasn't needed here anymore. Cloud and the others stayed behind to get the rest of the people out but he went in the ambulance with Tifa.

After a couple of hours of surgery a nurse in a crisp white uniform came to talk to Zack. She ahd given up trying to get his injuries seen to because he wasn't going to budge. "Mister Fair, everything went pretty much perfect, now its just a waiting game."

"What do you mean 'pretty much'?"

The nurse bowed her head a little. "She hit her head really hard mister Fair, which resulted in a minute bleed in the brain that was easily fixable, but…well we won't know the effects on her memory or speech until she wakes up. So if I were you I'd prepare myself." Zack knew what she meant.

He went into the room and took Tifas bruised hand in his. "Baby if you can hear me, I'm here, and I'm going to stay here, and when all this is over I'm going to take you somewhere nice and we're going to get married. Not a big thing, I know how you hate those just you me the kids and Cloud. How's that sound? Tifa? Come on please wake up so I at least I know your ok?"

As if by magic or the grace of Gaia herself, she stirred. She stirred even more, little groans coming out of her mouth.

"Tifa? Hey baby. It's only me."

"…daddy?"

Zack let out a slight chuckle. "No hunny, its Zack."

"…Zack?" he nodded and stroked her hand.

"Zack…will you call my mom for me? And tell her where I am? I don't want her to worry." Zack let go of her hand and sat back.

"What?"

"Call my mom. Please?" Zack couldn't believe this. He stood up and left, finding the nurse from earlier.

"Nurse, she's asked me to call her mom and her…her moms been dead for years." The nurse bit her lip. "Ok I knew something like this would happen. Slight amnesia on certain facts. Does she know what happened to her today?"

Zack shrugged. "I don't know. She started talking about her mom like it was a normal day."

"Ok give her time, it should wear off soon."

Zack nodded. He had no idea how he was going to handle this one. But frankly he was glad to be alive, and even more glad that she was alive.


End file.
